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English translation
My name is Rosa Elvira Cuc Ich. I am an Indigenous Maya Q'eqchi' woman, from the municipality of El Estor, Lake Izabal. I am also a plaintiff against the Canadian mining company Hudbay Minerals.
I want to send a message to all the native Indigenous peoples of the territories.
We know that The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples has just passed. That date for me should be a day of reflection. If we realize that we, the Indigenous peoples, are the most discriminated against, excluded, dispossessed of our lands, plundered, robbed of our natural resources.
And we are the best guardians of the riches that we have in our territories. So I ask myself, what is being commemorated if we continue to suffer violence, torture, violence against our rights, by landowners, mining companies, palm companies, monocultures, and others.
It is sad to see our reality. It hurts me to see all these injustices.
As a woman I know that I have the right to raise my voice to demand justice. But unfortunately sometimes that is why they kill us, to silence us.
But I invite you to resist, to defend our own and to leave good examples for the new generation in the future.
And let us remember, Guatemalans, that the elections for president are approaching. I call upon you. Let us reflect to cast our votes. Let us defend the democracy of our country.
Let us remember that we are the seeds inherited from our ancestors.
Thank you.
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