#polochic

Indigenous Q’eqchi’ families in Guatemala’s Polochic velley F have re-claimed their old lands from the sugar cane plantation Chabil Utzaaj (subsidiary of Grupo Pellas, also owner of the famous Flor de Caña rum) that violently evicted them four years ago. In 2011, Chabil Utzaj’s private security forces backed by national police and military, destroyed the homes and crops of 769 Q’eqchi’ farming families. After a massive protest in 2012, the government promised to re-locate the families on new lands. Three years later, only 140 families have be re-located, one group having been settled on a remote bankrupt farm with no road access (hence, they have effectively been cleared out of the Polochic valley, which was their home). The remaining families eke out measly livelihoods from menial labour (as cooks, cleaners, or day labourers on neighbouring farms); many suffer from malnutrition. Given these conditions, some of the dispossessed families who have not yet been compensated decided to take matters into their own hands and re-claim some of the lands they lost in 2011.

For more about this case, check our very own documentary about the 2011 evictions and other land-struggles in the same region: No More Evictions! The struggle for Indigenous Land in Post-War Guatemala. 

Late last year, Los Despojados released No More Evictions!, a half-hour documentary about the struggles of indigenous Q'eqchi' people in the Polochic valley and surrounding highlands against the twin threat of sugar plantations and mining. Our video was shot in 2012, one year after the infamous Polochic evictions. Our video ends with a mention of how the Guatemalan government is failing to live up to its promise, made in 2012 after a massive protest by campesinos and indigenous people from across the country, to resettle the evicted families. As a follow-up, today we present you Food not Fuel, a short 6-minute piece shot in 2013 by Irish NGO Tocaire that follows up with one of the affected families, two years after the evictions. 

(via Oxfam)

Though the Government of Guatemala has returned land to 140 families unjustly evicted from the Polochic Valley nearly three years ago -- thanks to your support! -- 629 families are still waiting for their land.

On the third anniversary of the evictions, it is urgent to push the Guatemalan government and its president, Otto Perez Molina, to fulfill their commitments and return the land to the families. Only 30 of the families have actually been able to return to their lands, and plant and harvest. All the other families are still without their land, three years later.

People power pushes the Government

On Saturday, 19 October 2013, the Government of Guatemala returned land titles to 140 families, out of the original 769 evicted in March 2011. This achievement was the product of Vamos al Grano campaign, the GROW Campaign, and 107,000 people from 55 countries in the world that joined forces to push for justice. Thank you to all the people and organizations involved!

President Otto Perez Molina personally delivered the title to the first 140 families. Attending the ceremony were representatives of all communities evicted from Polochic Valley, members of the Peasant Unity Committee (CUC), other social organizations and members of Oxfam. In addition, 600 titles to other communities that are not part of the group of families evicted were delivered during the event.

This success demonstrates the importance of local partnerships in order to achieve national change, while still working on global advocacy.

The fight is not over, as 629 families are still waiting for justice. We will continue to push the government to fulfill its commitment to a worthy and comprehensive resettlement for all 769 families evicted, ensuring dignified transfer, food assistance, housing, productive projects and education and health services.

What happened in Polochic Valley?

On Monday 22 April 2013, the evicted families of Polochic Valley handed over the petition to the Guatemalan Minister of Agriculture. The Government subsequently stated that it intended to remedy the situation. It declared that the demands made by the peasant farmer organizations from Polochic were not only valid and legitimate, but that it supported them.

The 769 families had been violently evicted in March 2011 from land where they had always lived.