Reportedly, security forces of CGN nickel company are responsible for torturing and killing the teacher.

Real World Radio interviewed family and friends of Adolfo Ich Chaman in La Union community. Victorino Tejasuc, member of CEIBA Friends of the Earth Guatemala talked about the context of the murder.

We also interviewed Edgar Geovanny Ich Choc, 24 years old, son of the murdered teacher: “We will continue struggling so that they don´t subdue our rights as indigenous people and to recover the lands which traditionally belong to us”, said Edgar.

There are nine indigenous communities and many social movements resisting CGN company in El Estor. However, Guatemalan authorities have not even shown their condolences to the family of the murdered teacher “which makes us think that there is some kind of complicity with these companies”, said his son.

Adolfo Ich was beaten severally and then shot. Adolfo was the brother-in-law of Ramiro Choc, community leader imprisoned in February 2008, who has not been tried yet due to lack of evidence. (See http://www.radiomundoreal.fm/All-for-One?lang=en)

Hector Jeronimo Gimenez from the indigenous group Xinra Xalapan also denounced the murder and expressed his solidarity.

The communities are trying to turn pain into courage to face transnational corporations.

Real World Radio also talked to Mario Nij, spokesperson of San Juan Sacatepequez Communities. These communities in particular are facing the expansion of cement company (Cementos Progreso) and are living amongst the violence exerted by corporations to open their way on the territories.

Based on the long list of violent events perpetrated by extractive companies against communities, Mario Nij demands that these companies leave their territories and accuses the government of covering the terrorist actions of the companies.