LOS CIMIENTOS HARVEST TIME UPDATE : AUGUST 1996
It is harvest time in Los Cimientos. For the legal owners of Los Cimientos "the harvest" means watching armed members of the 50 Ixil families harvest corn from fields that legally belong to the Maya K'iche land owners. Corn that is blood, bones and life's breath for their children, infants and elders. August Harvest time means that the 50 Ixil Families reportedly are threatening to kill the unarmed members of the Los Cimientos community if they come near the corn fields. It is said that they have threatened to kill them even if they try to talk to them. Do these people who are harvesting food that belongs to others fear hearing about the agreements they signed promising to let the K'iche live in peace? On August 7, 1994 and Feb 10, 1995 these 50 Ixil families and governmental agencies signed documents guaranteeing the safety of the K'iche and that the government would purchase land to resettle the Ixil. These agreements were signed by three departments of the Guatemalan government plus the Minister of Defense, the local Army base, the Catholic Church and a duly appointed representative of all Maya communities involved in this historic land issue.
The agreements made on Aug 7, 1994 and signed into a binding contract on Feb. 10, 1995 are simple. They are easy to understand. We have the Spanish edition with us. Most assuredly the Guatemalan government translated it into both the K'iche and Ixil languages so everyone understands clearly.
The Agreement of August 7, 1994
Letterhead: Office of the Coordinator of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala for the Attention of Refugees, Displaced, Returnees and Deportees.
Participants: 2 representatives from the office of the Bishop of Quiche, 2 representatives from the Guatemalan Human Rights Omsbudsman's office, representatives from Guatemalan governmental agencies CEAR, (National Commision for Assistance to Repatriated Persons), the Ministry of Defense, COPREDEH (Presidential Human Rights Policy Coordinating Commision), FONAPAZ (National Peace Fund), Quiche Military Zone 20, The State of El Quiche, 3 representatives for the Ixil people, CERJ (Council of Ethnic Communities), and UASP, (Combined Union and Popular Action).
These participants agreed that:
- A Technical Study must be carried out.
* This was done. It was completed and the report presented in the "Final Document:Los Cimientos, El Quiche" Feb 10th, 1995. The findings affirmed that Los Cimientos is owned by, titled to, registered to and belongs to the 672 Maya K'iche people who have suffered as homeless refugees for 13 years while people placed on their land by the Army have reaped the harvest, eaten and sold the food that belongs to the K'iche and their children.
- They (Ixil and K'iche in Los Cimientos) must maintain mutual respect.
- The physical integrity of people on both sides will be respected.
- The Study must be accomplished in a timely fashion. (It was, more or
less.)
- Both sides will respect the findings. Those who turn out to be the
owners shall not be harrassed by the party not favored by the study
who shall abandon all claims in this regard.
- The Government's commitment to give land through the auspices of
CEAR and FONAPAZ to those who are determined not to be the owners of Los
Cimientos shall be respected without objection on the part of neither of
the parties.
- Those who are returning offer to respect those who are now there. This
means that the Los Cimientos community promised to respect the homes, crops,
animals and all belongings of the 50 Ixil Families.
- The Ixil families do not need to help the Los Cimientos returnees in
any manner.
- A man may possibly be appointed to determine the site where the Los
Cimientos returnees will settle. (This agreement was written on Aug, 7,
one day before the first 200 people of Los Cimientos made their courageous
journey home after 13 years suffering as refugees. They chose to face the
guns of the 50 Army-empowered Civil Patrol Families, rather than continue
watching their children die of malnutrition.)
- * And now, please take note, we have arrived at the most crucial
article:
IT IS HEREBY EXPRESSLY CERTIFIED THAT THE REPRESENTATIVES OF FONAPAZ AND OF CEAR EXPLICITLY REAFFIRM THE GOVERNMENT'S OFFER TO GIVE LAND TO THOSE WHO ARE DETERMINED NOT TO BE THE OWNERS.
These words were written 2 years ago, August 7. On that day the honorable gentlemen of the Guatemalan Government, the Guatemalan military and the Maya Ixil people made this agreement with the people of Los Cimientos. Today the lives of K'iche men, women and children are threatened by the guns of the Ixil who are still sitting on the land.On February 7, 1995, they (the Ixiles, the K'iches, the military and the Government) signed the Study into a legal contract. The Infants and Elders of Los Cimientos continue to wait, suffering endless days of torment since the day the duly appointed, honored and respected Gentlemen signed their names to that morally and ethically binding contract.
Sirs, the whole world is watching and waiting to see the proof of your honor and integrity. The Golden Rule. Now is the time to sow seeds of ethnic harmony and resolution.
THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE. THE GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT MUST GIVE GOOD, FERTILE LAND, JUST LIKE THEY PROMISED, WITH TITLES THAT GUARANTEE THE SECURITY OF LAND OWNERSHIP TO THOSE MEMBERS OF THE 50 IXIL FAMILIES WHO NEED LAND. THE GOVERNMENT MUST HELP THESE FAMILIES MOVE RAPIDLY TO THEIR NEW FIELDS. THE GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT MUST VERIFY AND SAFEGUARD THE SAFETY OF THE LOS CIMIENTOS PEOPLE WITH THE HELP OF UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS AND LONG-TERM MEDIATORS TO ACHIEVE A PERMANENT AND PEACEFUL RESOLUTION.