Guatemala: Indigenous and Rural Communities March to Defend Their Land · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
Thousands of Guatemalan indigenous people and campesinos (countrymen) participated in a nine-day march to defend their lands, protest forced relocations, and call attention to other issues affecting rural communities. Cultural Survival explains:
Organized by the Comite de Unidad Campesino, (CUC) [Committee for Campesino Unity] the march demands the attention of the State of Guatemala, as well as local, national, and international media to the issues facing the rural Indigenous and campesino majority of the country.
The report continues:
The movement leaders have issued a press statement, “Declaration of the March for Resistance and Dignity, in Defense of the Earth and Territory”  in which they have made the following demands– reiterations of longstanding grievances of the Indigenous and campesinos in Guatemala:
Photographer and blogger James Rodríguez published a photo essay [es] of the arrival of the marchers to Guatemala City on March 26, 2012:
Después de 9 días y 212 kilómetros, la Marcha Indígena, Campesina y Popular por la defensa de la Madre Tierra, contra los desalojos, la criminalización y por el Desarrollo Rural Integral, llegó al centro de la Ciudad Capital. Según miembros del Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC), se estima que alrededor de 15,000 personas participaron en esta novena y última jornada.
These are some of James’ photos, published with his permission:
"No to the exploitation of natural resources. No to mining"
Visit James’ blog Mi Mundo [es] to see more photos of the march in Guatemala City.
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.