Organizations from over 20 countries demand justice and human rights for activists following the assassination of Noé Gómez Barrera
On Saturday October 28, 2023, Xinka community leader, 69-year old Noé Gómez Barrera was murdered in the department of Jutiapa, Guatemala. Mr. Noé, much loved and respected by the community, was a member of the ancestral authorities of the Xinka Parliament of Guatemala, and since 2002 fought for Xinka rights in Jutiapa against the company Renewable Energy Alternative (Alternativa de Energía Renovable in Spanish). In recent weeks, he participated actively in the indefinite National Strike for democracy against the efforts of the “Covenant of the Corrupt” to remain in power following the election of Bernardo Arévalo whose inauguration is scheduled for January 14, 2024 and who has committed to end corruption in the country.
The Xinka Parliament of Guatemala has called on the Guatemalan Public Prosecutors Office to take action and to investigate this crime, stating: “Stop the criminalization and violence against Xinka leaders and human rights defenders.”
The signatories express solidarity with the Xinka Parliament of Guatemala and the human rights defenders who are part of the Peaceful Resistance of Santa Rosa, Jalapa and Jutiapa, who exercise and work for the full enjoyment and respect for their fundamental collective and individual rights.
The statement is available in English and Spanish. La declaración está disponible en inglés y español.