I Saw The Bullet Hole In Yolanda Oqueli's Side
During her visit to Guatemala, Front Line Defenders director, Mary Lawlor, writes in recognition of the situation of human rights defenders of territory, land, and the environment. As part of her blog, Lawlor recounts the story of women human rights defender Yolanda Oqueli, who was shot on June 13 because of her participation in a demonstration against the Exmigua mine.
It was too raw to tell you about Yolanda Oqueli before now and though it's very late, and we're leaving at 4am in the morning, I must try now.
Yolanda is a woman human rights defender in San Jose de Gulfo who is a community leader resisting the Exmigua mine. From everything we've heard, from all sides, mining of minerals such as gold and silver, sand and alloys is a huge issue in Guatemala. Generally the community affected is not consulted. No objective information or public proccess of consultation takes place to allay fears about damage to the environment; whether the rivers will be polluted; whether the forests will be felled and thus their water supply compromised; and also, what will happen after the mining licence expires and the environment needs to be repaired and rebuilt.
Yoly (as she wrote her name) has a history of intimidation because of her work. Her lawyer (pro bono) has lodged roughly 10 complaints through the legal process. She has been tear-gassed; graffiti had been written on her walls and threats against her and her children have been significant. Despite this, the Government to date has been mute.
On her way back from a demonstration against the mine on the 13th June she was shot. I saw the bullet hole in her side.
Such is the level of the threat to her life, Yoly has had to move several times since the shooting. She has no State protection. We weren't sure whether we would be able to meet her, but finally, we arranged to meet the security guards at a parking lot and we followed their car to her current safe house.
There we found a woman with a huge heart, not known, not recognised and not credible in Guatemalan society. She is paralysed with fear.
She has two beautiful baby children with huge eyes... the little girl's forehead puckered in anxiety as she saw her mother cry and speak about the pain.
Front Line Defenders has raised her case everywhere possible; at Congress; at the Attorney Generals Office; at a Press Conference (carried on news) and at the UN. Only the UN took action. The UN Representative, Alberto Brunori, visited her in hospital, asked for State protection and sent a team to visit the area. The EU, despite the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders remains scandalously silent.