{"id":5186,"date":"2025-03-25T06:51:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T06:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/?p=5186"},"modified":"2025-03-25T06:51:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T06:51:33","slug":"forced-evictions-in-guatemala-a-silenced-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/5186\/forced-evictions-in-guatemala-a-silenced-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"Forced Evictions in Guatemala \u2013 A Silenced Conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Guatemala, forced evictions continue to affect indigenous and peasant communities, particularly in the Alta and Baja Verapaz districts. In 2024, the Uni\u00f3n Verapacense de Organizaciones Campesinas (UVOC)<\/a> and the Comit\u00e9 Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA)<\/a> recorded 68 eviction orders in this region alone. These acts of violence are part of a long history of dispossession of indigenous lands, further exacerbated by the expansion of monocultures and extractive projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severely Unequal Land Access<\/strong>
The unequal distribution of land is a major structural issue and one of the main causes of the internal armed conflict in Guatemala from 1960 to 1996. Only 2% of farmers own 65% of the most fertile agricultural land, and despite the 1996 peace agreements, the situation has worsened. The expansion of monocultures (bananas, sugar, palm oil, coffee), as well as mining and hydroelectric projects, have intensified land displacement of indigenous and peasant communities to make way for these projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violent and Illegitimate Evictions<\/strong>
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has condemned evictions carried out without prior consultation or notice, often accompanied by police and military violence. The population is criminalized, accused of “usurpation” or links to drug trafficking to legitimize their eviction. This leads to the destruction of homes, supplies, and sometimes even the death of livestock. Lastly, the displaced people find themselves with no housing alternatives or access to justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PBI’s Commitment to the Communities<\/strong>
In the face of this violence, Peace Brigades International (PBI) supports peasant and indigenous communities in their fight for land rights. PBI documents abuses and alerts international bodies, such as the UN, about the threats faced by the defenders of these communities. The case of the Q’eqchi’ Lajeb Kej community illustrates this crisis: its members, who have no official land titles but have cultivated the land for generations, face armed attacks and constant threats. In January 2025, despite legal appeals and international protection measures, families were forcibly evicted. PBI remained in contact with the community and advocated with the authorities to ensure their safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Struggle Made Invisible by the Media and the International Community<\/strong>
Despite warnings from local and international organizations, the Guatemalan state remains passive in the face of these violations. The UN recommended protecting indigenous communities and halting forced evictions, but these calls have largely been ignored. As long as the land ownership system favors land grabbing, violence against indigenous peoples will continue. This fight is not only about social justice but also about historical recognition and the return of stolen land. Nevertheless, the communities continue to resist, asserting their right to land and self-determination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Guatemala, forced evictions continue to affect indigenous and peasant communities, particularly in the Alta and Baja Verapaz districts. In 2024, the Uni\u00f3n Verapacense de Organizaciones Campesinas (UVOC) and the Comit\u00e9 Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA) recorded 68 eviction orders in this region alone. These acts of violence are part of a long history of dispossession … Forced Evictions in Guatemala \u2013 A Silenced Conflict<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5189,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"issue":[352],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"\u00e0 propos","author_link":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/author\/apropos\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/188WebPBI-600x331.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Reports<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Reports<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 1 year ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on March 25, 2025","modified":"Updated on March 25, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on March 25, 2025 6:51 am","modified":"Updated on March 25, 2025 6:51 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5186"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5253,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186\/revisions\/5253"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5186"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=5186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}