source: NISGUA
The Peaceful Resistance of Casillas Celebrates 9 Years of Struggle Against the Escobal Mine
Under the heat of the morning sun, more than 600 people marched from the permanent resistance in Casillas to a rally and Catholic mass in the center of town to honor the anniversary of resistance against the Escobal mine, currently owned by Canadian corporation Pan-American Silver. Volunteers from the communities surrounding the mine have served 24 hour shifts on a rotating basis for the past nine years monitoring fuel quantity and movement in the region, in order to ensure the mine remains out of operation. While this was the 9th anniversary of the resistance, the struggle against the mine began 18 years ago, marked by criminalization, repression, denial of the existence of the Xinka people, and violence against land and water defenders.
A 2018 Constitutional Court ruling found that the Xinka people’s right to a free, informed, and good faith consultation — under Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization — had been violated. Thus the court suspended the operations of the mine, and ordered the state of Guatemala to hold a consultation. On May 8, 2025, the Xinka Parliament delivered the results of the consultation, which is a resounding “NO” to the mine. They still await a response from the State. The Xinka people are committed to resisting until the mine closes for good.
See below
1) Statement from Casillas Resistance: 9 Years of Resistance—The Xinka People Still Say NO to Mining
2) International Solidarity Letter to the Peaceful Xinka Resistance to the Escobal Mine in Casillas, Santa Rosa on their ninth anniversary
Statement from Casillas Resistance: 9 Years of Resistance—The Xinka People Still Say NO to Mining
https://nisgua.org/statement-from-casillas-resistance-9-years-of-resista...
Unofficial translation by the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). You can find the original statement in Spanish further below.
For life and our land, here we are!
Press release marking the 9th anniversary of the Xinka people’s peaceful resistance and the 15th anniversary of the Municipal Referendums requested by the residents of Santa Rosa de Lima, Nueva Santa Rosa, and Casillas, Santa Rosa.
Today, June 14, 2026, we commemorate 9 years of peaceful resistance by the Xinka people here in Casillas; the 15th anniversary of the municipal referendums, initiated at the request of residents, held in Santa Rosa de Lima, Nueva Santa Rosa, and Casillas; the 14th anniversary of the municipal referendum in Mataquescuintla; the 13th anniversary of the good faith referendums held in the municipality of San Rafael Las Flores; and the 10th anniversary of the municipal consultation in San Carlos Alzatate, where more than 98% of the population said NO to mining in opposition to the El Escobal mining project, located in San Rafael Las Flores and currently owned by the transnational corporation Pan American Silver. This day represents not only an anniversary, but also a symbol of dignity, persistence, and collective memory.
The Xinka people, one of Guatemala’s four indigenous groups, have lived in the departments of Santa Rosa, Jalapa, and Jutiapa for generations. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE, 2018), more than 262,000 people self-identify as members of this indigenous nation. Despite centuries of being rendered invisible, the Xinka people have preserved their roots, their forms of community organization, and their connection to the land and water.
ILO Convention 169, ratified by Guatemala, obligates the state to consult with indigenous peoples before developing projects that affect their territory. In spite of this, the El Escobal mine was built without prior consultation.
For our people, mining has meant: imposition, conflict, criminalization, and a direct threat to our land, our water, and our spirituality. That is why we commemorate this long and courageous journey today.
Since 2009, resistance has taken the form of peaceful protests and large gatherings of people expressing their opposition to the mining project. The support of the Catholic Church was essential, with the celebration of Masses, as well as visits to the mining company’s offices to highlight rights violations such as the failure to conduct free, prior, and informed consultations. Legal actions were initiated before the Ministry of Energy and Mines to prevent the project’s approval, and in an effort to ensure the Xinka people’s voices were heard.
Consultations were initiated based on the municipal code and the laws regarding development consultations; many were challenged by the mining company and Guatemalan business associations, but legal resolutions were passed that confirmed the people’s right to be consulted. Numerous press conferences were held to ensure that the general public was aware of the actions the Xinka people were taking as part of their right to protest and their right to resist.
Despite these actions, and even though both the mining company and the government were aware of widespread opposition among the people, they proceeded to approve the mining license. In response, the government subjected the community to legal persecution, criminalized its leaders, imposed a state of emergency, and issued search warrants and arrest warrants for community leaders who opposed the project.
In February 2010, residents and community leaders filed the first legal challenges before the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), questioning the validity of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the mining project. At the same time, a municipal consultation was requested for the first time in San Rafael Las Flores, but it was rejected.
On April 29, 2011, more than 10,000 people marched from the center of the municipality of San Rafael Las Flores to the entrance of the mining project. Each person left a flower as a symbol of protest. This mass mobilization, led by the Catholic Church, went down in history as “The March of the Flowers.”
During 2011 and 2012, neighboring communities such as Santa Rosa de Lima, Nueva Santa Rosa, Casillas, and Mataquescuintla held municipal referendums, which saw broad participation, and in which 98% of people rejected the presence of mining. The people resoundingly affirmed: We do not want mining in our territory!
At the same time, the streets, parks, and roads became the scene of marches, vigils, and peaceful demonstrations. On February 20, 2012, nearly 2,000 people participated in a public Mass in the central park of San Rafael Las Flores, officiated by Bishop Álvaro Ramazzini. It was a spiritual and political event. That day, the mayor-elect publicly committed to holding the consultation the community had requested; however, this consultation never took place.
The year 2013 marked a milestone: a series of community consultations was organized in villages such as San Juan Bosco, Volcancito, Los Planes, La Cuchilla, Barrio Oriental, Las Delicias, Renacimiento, El Chanito, and Sabana Redonda. In the majority of these, more than 96% of the population voted against mining.
That same year, the El Escobal Peaceful Resistance was formally established to oppose the mining project. The state responded not with an intent to open dialogue but with repression. Community leaders were arrested and imprisoned as yet another act of criminalization. Despite this, the resistance continued.
In May 2013, the government declared a state of emergency in four municipalities: Casillas, San Rafael Las Flores, Mataquescuintla, and Jalapa. This was intended to disband community organization. But that same year, in Jalapa and San Carlos Alzatate, more than 94% and 98% of the population, respectively, once again rejected mining through municipal referendums.
On June 7, 2017, the Permanent Peaceful Resistance was established in Casillas. This action was coordinated by community leaders and the Xinka people to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court of Justice’s rulings on the injunction filed regarding the Xinka people’s right to a consultation.
During that same year, three major demonstrations were held in the capital, demanding respect for the right to consultation and the identity of the Xinka people. Finally, in September, the Supreme Court of Justice recognized that the right to consultation had been violated.
On November 6, 2017, a second sit-in was held, this time in front of the Constitutional Court to ensure a swift resolution.
On August 20, 2017, the Organized Civil Society of Mataquescuintla launched another peaceful resistance, this time monitoring the road to ensure the mining company did not continue to operate illegally.
On September 3, 2018, the Constitutional Court issued a historic ruling: it ordered the State of Guatemala to conduct a consultation with the Xinka People in accordance with international standards, and to suspend operations of the El Escobal mining project. This was the first time this right had been formally recognized for the Xinka People.
That same month, as a sign of victory, the sit-in that had been held for 10 months in front of the Constitutional Court—with the support of numerous social organizations and indigenous peoples—was lifted.
However, the consultation process was manipulated from the outset. In 2019, Xinka authorities publicly stated that the government was excluding them, violating the Constitutional Court’s ruling and sowing internal divisions.
In 2020, despite irregularities, the pre-consultation process ordered by the Constitutional Court in Ruling 4785–2017 was formalized between Xinka communities and the state.
Now, in 2026, after more than 15 years of struggle and 9 years of ongoing peaceful resistance, we reaffirm that this struggle is not only against a mining project, but also a fight for the defense of life, water, forests, and ancestral lands.
The results of the public consultation process have recently been submitted to the central government; therefore, on this anniversary of the resistance, a clear and forceful message is being sent to the government to resolve the matter as soon as possible in accordance with the law and based on the results of the process, since, according to the latest public consultations, the results confirm the people’s decision NOT to grant consent for the continuation of operations of said mining project. The appropriate course of action, then, is for the mine to be permanently shut down, with the matter resolved before the general elections so that it is not left pending for other administrations. The communities involved in the resistance will remain actively vigilant, monitoring the central government’s response.
Also keeping in mind that Pan American Silver continues to conduct site visits offering guided tours that provide biased information, as well as monitoring, harassing, and using the media to intimidate community leaders.
Now, following the release of the results of the Xinka people’s consultation process, we demand that the state of Guatemala and the courts act responsibly and lawfully, and that they follow through on this process in strict accordance with the law—ensuring justice for the human rights violations committed, the illegal granting of licenses, and the systematic criminalization we have faced as a people.
To the Catholic Church: Your spiritual and pastoral presence has been and continues to be fundamental in sustaining hope, dignity, and the fabric of our community in the face of structural violence and the imposition of extractive projects. In these difficult times, we need the Church’s voice to be raised clearly alongside the voice of the Xinka people, as the necessary support has been lacking for some time now. We remind you all that this resistance was born from both the people and the Church, in defense of life and justice.
Today, from Casillas, the Xinka people declare that the resistance continues, and acknowledge the legitimate struggle of the communities. We invite those who have not yet become involved to join us in peaceful resistance.
We thank the communities, organizations, brothers and sisters of other indigenous groups, and conscientious individuals from across the country and the world who have joined this cause in solidarity.
“For life, land, and water, the resistance will continue”
Casillas, Santa Rosa, June 14, 2026
International Solidarity Letter to the Peaceful Xinka Resistance to the Escobal Mine in Casillas, Santa Rosa on their ninth anniversary -
https://nisgua.org/solidarity-letter-9th-anniversary-of-the-peaceful-xin...
Dear members of the Peaceful Xinka Resistance to the Escobal Mine in Casillas, Santa Rosa,
We, the undersigned international organizations, express our deepest respect and admiration for the nine years that you have maintained the resistance camp and for the over fifteen years that you have been organizing to exercise your self-determination and defend your water, land, identity and health from the Escobal mine in your territories. We congratulate you for all the diligence, discipline and resilience you exemplify through your organizing efforts that have remained steadfast despite the stigmatization, criminalization, attacks and violence you have faced.
For our organizations and for many in Guatemala and far beyond, your dedication to your communities, your ancestral homelands and your people is a vital example of what is possible when people unite to fight for justice, whether that be in Guatemala, Canada, the United States, or elsewhere.
We know that this struggle has not been easy and that there have been setbacks. We know that you all have had to make tremendous sacrifices for this cause. We know that this struggle for justice has been marked with difficulties and loss, and that there are people who would have wanted to be here today and who cannot be because they have been criminalized, threatened, exiled or murdered for their peaceful resistance.
Moreover, we applaud the effort and dedication that the resistance has exercised to oppose the reopening of the Escobal mine in your territory. For us, it was an honor to witness both in-person and from a distance the unambiguous NO that the Xinka People expressed in presenting the consultation results on May 8th, 2025. It is clear that the Xinka People say NO to the continuation of the Escobal mine, and that this “NO” is non-negotiable.
We recognize and honour the results of the more than 16 community and municipal referendums organized in Santa Rosa, Jalapa and Jutiapa over the past fifteen years that clearly rejected mining in your territory. With the release of the court-ordered consultation results in May 2025, we have continued to work together to support your courageous efforts. This includes speaking tours in Canada and the United States. We also organized to bring the results of the consultation with the Xinka People directly to Pan American Silver’s headquarters in Vancouver, where a petition with over 6,000 signatures to demand respect for the Xinka People’s decision. We also worked with Canadian parliamentarians to raise this issue in the Canadian legislature, including a parliamentary e-petition with over 750 signatures from individuals across twelve provinces in Canada, from the west to east coast.
We do this work out of a deep commitment to international solidarity. We understand that the struggle you are leading is rooted in your territories, histories, and collective decision-making, and our role is not to speak for you, but to stand alongside you. From our respective contexts, we seek to accompany your resistance by amplifying your voices, building awareness, and mobilizing support across borders. Similarly, we realize that we have a complementary struggle in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere to demand that our governments and corporations respect your self-determination, take responsibility for their role in the harms caused and to close the Escobal mine. In doing so, we reaffirm that this is not only a local struggle, but part of a broader global movement for justice, corporate accountability, and respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples to self-determination.
Thank you for your confidence and trust in making this local resistance a transnational effort for justice, working together to tackle this struggle from all possible angles.
We once again reiterate our deepest respect and admiration for your continued resistance — fifteen years strong and nine years here at the peaceful resistance camp. More than anything, we thank you for being a source of inspiration for what is possible when humanity stands up for what is just.
In solidarity,
