Guatemala
Consejo de Mujeres Wuxhtaj
CMW
What it wants is to arrive and build hydroelectric plants… this is one of the biggest problems we have here in my territory. And there you can see the towers … the towers both to produce and extract energy. And the people, mainly women, lifting their hands, talking and trying to stop this monster from entering because these are their homes, these are their forests, their trees. But something else that is also represented with the towers, is that when they’re built, they also destroy trees, destroy forests.
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As you can see on our drawing, there is this monster… it (represents) the companies when they enterour territories. It doesn’t mind stepping over the people… here we can see that it’s destroying the trees, it’s destroying the houses and it’s going after a target, which is the river.
“All this has brought us fear and terror to go out and defend [el territorio] but still there are many women willing to defend our natural resources and that is why we are here.“
– Mayra, Consejo de Mujeres Wuxhtaj
About
our story
The Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj is the articulated movement of the Popti’, Q’anjob’al, Chuj, Akateko, Aguakateko, Chalchiteko, Mam, Kiche, Tectiteko and mestizo communities who live together in the 32 municipalities of the department of Huehuetenango, which is located in the northwest of Guatemala. We are founding members of the Consejo del Pueblo Maya (Mayan People’s Council- CPO), which has nationwide coverage, and we are currently participating in its political coordination. The concept “Wuxhtaj” in the Mayan languages Popti’, Q’anjob’al, Chuj, Akateko, means “brother”, we are fraternal communities organized in a Council. In 2013, the Consjeo Wuxthaj, together with grassroots organizations, took the decision and made the commitment to embrace and implement the Consejo del Pueblo Maya’s political approach in the department of Huehuetenango.
Currently, the Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj is a reference point in the struggle for the defence of territory and the fundamental rights of the Indigenous Peoples, articulated in the Consejo de Pueblos Mayas CPO at the national level. The Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj is the articulation process of the 9 Mayan and mestizo communities of Huehuetenango, and they form the Consejo de Pueblos Hermanos de Huehuetenango.
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