All That Glitters Isn't Gold: Part II

Beautiful Izabal

Before roads and railroads, Lake Izabal was what linked the Guatemalan interior to the rest of the world. Commonly referred to as "the store" in English, the name evolved to its present form due to Spanish-speakers style of pronunciation and spelling. What is now known as "El Estor" was the landing and trading post for cargo and travelers to journeying from the coast to Cobán and beyond. This strategic position is what made it an attractive location to set up shop.  Unfortunately, one of the first to do so was the United Fruit Company, who came to dominate the region by appropriating the agricultural lands and denigrating the local indigenous population to manorial labour. In the 1960’s and 1970’s under the fog of war, a civil war that the UFC helped start, the company quietly withdrew from El Estor. Yet, as misfortune had it “the store” was located on Central America’s single largest nickel deposit and almost as quickly as one feudal giant left, another one took its place. EXMIBAL was a subsidiary of Canadian nickel giant, INCO, and until the war ended and nickel prices crashed in the 1980’s, it, like United Fruit, continued to perform what Galeano described as neo-colonial alchemy. Finally, in the 1990’s, and for little more than a decade, relative peace reigned. However, in 1997, a new neoliberal Mining Law and rising mineral prices combined to produce a %1000 increase in extractive exploration and exploitation in Guatemala. One of the first places that was re-opened for business was “the store” and one of the first company’s interested in restarting its alchemy was INCO.

Building on what it had seen and heard in San Miguel Ixtahuacán, OGG traveled to Izabal to meet with anti-mining activists Raúl and María and visit the affected community of Lote Ocho.

María Choc addressing OG and the community in Lote Ocho
Photo courtesy of Laura Huddart.

Allison writes:

“Today we visited the community of Lote 8, it’s close to the mine run by HudBay Mineral, another Canadian company. This particular community is made up of about 25 families and they are going through hell. Their community is in constant threat of being evicted by the mining company. At one point their entire village was burned to the ground, but they returned and rebuilt because this is their home, their land. Recently they have moved their village an hour hike uphill so that they can keep watch on who is coming and try to defend themselves. A couple years ago, security forces came to the town and because all the men were away at work they distracted the children and violently gang raped a dozen women, one of those women was telling us her story and saying how difficult it is to talk about. The whole community came out to meet with our group; they are so strong, so connected. They are all going through the same struggle and are so supportive of one another. Men and women both feel comfortable to speak up and the woman translating Q’eqchi to Spanish for us was a powerful woman with a commanding presence. Her sister is Angelica Choc who is currently suing the mine in Canadian court for the assassination of her husband who was a prominent community leader. The most powerful part of the day was when the women asked us after hearing their stories, “What are you going to do about this?” Wow, we can no longer be apathetic.”

Late on Friday August 5, 2011, just two days after our visit to the area, HudBay Minerals announced that it had agreed to sell 100% of its interest in the Fenix Mining Project located in El Estor, Guatemala. HudBay reportedly sold its stock in the nickel mine for $170 million, a fraction of the $460 million that the Canadian company paid for the project just three years earlier.

So, why the costly corporate retreat? "We believe this sale was prompted in part by the severe human rights issues at HudBay's Fenix Project that dogged the company at every turn. The murder of Adolfo Ich, and the gang-rapes of Rosa Elbira and the 10 other women at Lote Ocho committed by mine security personnel are albatrosses that weigh heavily on the neck of HudBay," said Murray Klippenstein. Klippenstein is the Toronto based firm representing Angelica Choc in a lawsuit against HudBay for the 2009 targeted killing of her husband, Adolfo Ich, by CGN (HudBay's wholly owned subsidiary) private security guards. Klippensteins also happens to be representing the 11 Mayan-Qeqchi women from the community of Lote 8 who were gang-raped by police, soldiers, and the same CGN security forces, as part of an illegal, forced eviction in 2007. 

A memorial to Adolfo Ich. Since his murder his image has become symbolic of anti-mining movements across the country.

The impunity in Guatemala that allows for a complete disregard for human rights and the rule of law is a well-documented and devastating phenomenon that dates back generations but like Maude Barlow, Chair of the Council of Canadians noted on her recent visit to Guatemala, impunity “is not only a Guatemalan phenomenon. It is profoundly a Canadian phenomenon.”

Klippenstein hopes the recent sale and law suits serve “as a lesson to Canadian companies that ignoring concerns over risks of severe human rights abuse can be incredibly expensive." But while Murray’s clients “continue to vigorously pursue their claims against HudBay and HMI in Ontario courts to ensure these Canadian companies are held accountable for their past wrongful acts," in Canada, there remains little chance for success much less redress.

Canada, unlike other countries, has no legal provisions or precedents, criminal or civil, for foreign claimants to pursue cases against Canadian companies for crimes committed outside of Canada. And even modest legislative attempts to introduce increased corporate accountability have been confronted by a coalition of staunch status quo defenders and human rights offenders, among them major mining industry players, Barrack Gold, and Goldcorp, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canada Pension Plan, and Export Development Canada. Between 2009 and 2010, their concerted lobbying effectively sabotaged Bill C-300, an Act Respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries. The same motley crew subsequently reunited to prevent the passing of Bill C-354, an initiative paralleling the American Alien Torts Claims Act that would have amended the Federal Courts Act to ensure the international promotion and legal protection of human rights.

However, in 2011, the crimes of HudBay, the environmental violations of Goldcorp, and the human rights abuses of Barrack Gold have again become popular press items and prominent public concerns. Consequently, C-354 has been resurrected in the form of private members Bill C-323, currently being re-tabled in the House of Commons. In this new context, the cases of Angelica Choc and the 11 brave women of Lote Ocho may just have the potential to haunt Hudbay long after its sale of the Fenix Mining Project.

Please show your support for Angelica, Lote 8, and all the other victims of Canadian corporate malfeasance by supporting Bill C-323 and other initiatives towards minimum and mandatory standards of corporate accountability.

Lazy & Crazy on the Cahabón (Written for the OGG Blog)

Semuc Champey

The geological oddity that is Semuc Champey is widely advertised as the most beautiful spot in Guatemala. It consists of a series of limestone pools and gentle waterfalls that perch atop the raging Cahabón River. At its mouth, visitors can gawk as the river disappears in a torrent beneath their feet, and then, after relaxing in the cascading turquoise blue waters above, watch as the river furiously remerges 300m below.

The Cahabón River

The Cahabón Disappearing Beneath Semuc Champey's Lime Stone Bridge

And Reappearing 300m Below

Meanwhile, up above...

Photo courtesy of Laura Huddart

OGG, after an epic week in Tzibal, arrived in Lanquin, a quiet town that largely exists as a service station and hub for the travellers looking to lay eyes on and wallow in the waters of the Lanquin River and nearby Semuc Champey. There, the group settled into a cabana at El Retiro Lodge, a “backpackers paradise” if there ever was one, to enjoy the first of 3 days of relaxation and reflection before ITT. On day 2, OGG migrated the 11 km to Las Marias, a more modest refuge strategically situated 800m from Semuc’s gates. The group spent the better part of the day basking in the sun and bathing in the pools of Semuc before taking to candle light and exploring the nearby Kamba Caves.

Despite its many hotels, hostels, and rumours that Lanquin would imminently acquire its first ATM, rumours that have been circulating since my first visit in 2007, the tourist town still provides no way of getting all important Quetzales. So, leaving the group at Guatemala’s natural spa, Allison and I hauled ass into Cobán to haul out dinero. Not an unenjoyable journey by pick-up and micro through the “egg carton hills” and one which was deliciously capped off by a lunch of empanadas and papas fritas. But, TIG (this is Guatemala) and with wait times the 4hr trip turned into 6 and we returned from our day just in time to see the rest of the group returning in inner tubes from theirs.

The following day the group returned to Lanquin to meet the guys from the Association of Tourism and Ecological Development of Saquijá (ADETES). Deep in the thick of the Guatemalan jungle, and tucked into the mountains of Alta Verapaz, the community of Saquijá was founded over 100 years ago by a group of three families. Today the community boasts about 1000 residents, most of whom live as subsistence farmers. But since 2006, they have begun to use the attraction of the river to improve their circumstances through a community based tourism initiative. ADETES has received professional training from international rafting instructors and the Red Cross of Guatemala and now guides foreigners and locales alike down the class I, II, III, IV, and V’s of the Río Lanquin and Río Cahabón, on a route that has been ranked one of the top twelve jungle river trips in the world by Paddler Magazine.

The "Dream Team"
Photo Courtesy of Allison Isaak

Sadly, Laura had fallen ill and she and Jay remained behind as the group geared up and set out for 5hr’s of craziness on the Cahabón. Despite, confronting “Rock N Roll,” “Entonces,” and the infamous “Tres Hermanos,” OGG’s “Dream Team” and “Unnamed Boat #2” emerged unscathed from a river that had recently and severely victimized two PeaceCorps volunteers. Back at Las Marías, OGG enjoyed a good meal, a better beer, and a well-earned bed. The following day they would be heading by Micro across the Chixoy-Polochic Fault and Minas Mountains to the Department of Izabal where they would visit the mining affected communities of Cahaboncito, Lotte 8, and El Estor.

The Land of Love & Tortillas

Tzibal is a small indigenous village located about two kilometers from Campur in what I affectionately call Guatemala’s “egg carton hills” but don’t try to find it on a map. There are about 380 Q'eqchi' residents who rely on the farming of coffee, cardamom, bananas, black pepper, and mandarins as their principle sources of income. The community has no electricity or running water, but has just acquired a cell-phone signal, albeit faint, and to we CLARO carrying Trip Leader’s frustration, only for those with TIGO. We also quickly learned that the community boasts abundances of love, generosity, and tortillas, so many tortillas.

The Egg Carton Hills

From our bienvenidos at the escuela, to meals with our lovely families, soccer games in the street, haircut, healthcare, and Chicky (oh so delicious chocolate covered cookies) runs to Campur, jungle hikes, evening masses, and poolside parties, OGG spent an amazing week cultivating cross-cultural connections and constructing a “bottle school.”


Bottle School projects are being undertaken across Guatemala with the support and tutelage of OG partner, Hug-It-Forward. HIF is a San Diego-based non-profit that blends intangible change with tangible results. They utilize 100% of donations on the ground in the communities where bottle schools are built; meaning absolutely no money is taken for overhead or salaries. Their Bottle Schools are only initiated by community invitation and initiative. The participation of the collective ensures a sense of local ownership and pride while serving the educational needs of the community’s children. Hug-it-Forward then coordinates with the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, and other organizations (including PeaceCorps), to facilitate the construction and sustainability of the innovative structures and its services. There are already no less than 10 built in Guatemala with many more in the planning stages.

How it works

But I’ll let Ali, Allison, and our fantastic PeaceCorps host, Hannah, share there takes.

Hannah (quoted from her blog ¨Cartas de Lejos”):

“The 11 volunteers (Canadian and American University students/recent grads) stayed in the village with host families and worked at the school each day, classifying the 10,000 bottles (a horribly tedious task that I owe them big time for) hauling rocks, and playing with the village children. I owe these guys a huge thanks for their time, dedication, and amazing enthusiasm for the bottle project and the Tzibal community at large. The community could not have been prouder to host this lovely group of "kaxlan," and their stay will long be remembered by the families they stayed with and the children who will soon have a brand-new school.”

Allison adds:

“… Well, we tried to spend the week working, but we kept getting distracted by the kids wanting to play with us, the teachers taking pictures of us, women inviting us to their weekly woman’s group, families taking us on a hike through the jungle, and the whole town throwing us a fiesta that lasted for 6 hours. What a week. But we did manage to move some concrete and sort the thousands of bottles that will be used in the construction of the bottle school…”

Constructing Bottle School
Additional photos courtesy of Laura Huddart

 Ali tells a little more of the story:

“Tzibal stole our hearts to the fullest extent. From the first step we took into the classroom to the last steps we took out of the aldea [hamlet], we felt the strongest sense of hospitality imaginable. Upon our arrival, the teachers and students arranged us to walk in a single file line into the classroom so that they could give us each an individual round of applause.”

They then serenaded us with Q’eqchi’ and Spanish songs, challenged us to games of musical chairs and fed us fresh fruit and Caparina. When we finally admitted defeat, we were introduced to the families with whom we would be spending the week. The hospitality however, never ceased.

“Throughout the entire week they housed us, fed us, did our laundry, and genuinely cared for us as a family would. What really got me was that they provided us with everything we needed and more, which was particularly grounding considering they had next to nothing to give. Living with next to nothing, my family showed me what it was to be truly happy. This is a community with no running water, no electricity, and few, if any, living comforts at all, and yet they live like they have all they need. In carrying out their daily lives, they taught by example that simplicity makes for a richer life than complexity. This mindset rang through the entire community; never before have I interacted with happier children than those of Tzibal, and what do they have? A community soccer ball, basketball, and volleyball. The ability of those children to take what they have and make the very most of it was, to say the least, refreshing after growing up surrounded by the excesses of North America. The spirit of the entire community- men, women, and children- was in one word inspiring. I have never met a more resilient, hospitable, and purely happy group of people in my entire life.

The kids of Tzibal
Additional photos courtesy of Allie Stote, Allison Isaak, and Laura Huddart

Allison goes on to describe the unique connection that was made.

“From the moment we set foot in the community to the moment we left, we felt so welcomed … Sure we didn’t speak any Q’eqchi’ and yes, most of our host mom’s didn’t speak any Spanish either, but somehow we still communicated and connected and my host mom still wanted my cell number, not sure what she will do with it but the gesture was really touching. She also tried to teach me how to make tortillas at which I failed miserably but I made a solid effort. The whole community was so thankful for our presence and so gracious to us that we at times felt like we hadn’t done enough for them in return for all their gratitude, and so to my family and friends in Tzibal, I say, “bantiosh,” [Thank you in Q’eqchi] and hopefully we were able to have as positive an impact on Tzibal as Tzibal had on us.”

OGG & Tzibal
Additional photos courtesy of Allison Isaak, Chelsea Poupore, and Laura Huddart

“B'antiox” indeed. OGG was so touched by the hospitality, generosity, and so taken by the genuine connections they made with the community of Tzibal that participants decided that their work on the bottle school was just simply not enough. So after some, but not much, deliberation, and an über unanimous decision that OGG’s fundraising should stay with its heart, in Tzibal. For those unfamiliar with Operation Groundswell: One unique part of OG’s program is that each and every participant is required to fundraise $1000, 50% of which is used to facilitate contributions to local partners and projects, and, in part, to help offset the burden and costs associated with accommodating X number of gringos. 35% is secured in a central OG fund for larger scale and longer term projects while 10% is used to carbon offset all participant and TL flights.


So, OGG reflected on the week’s events and recalled their participation in a community meeting which all of the town’s women and many of the children attended. The gathering had been held in an old church space because none of the women’s houses were big enough to host the group. They remembered that the following night, we had attended an evangelical church service that was held in someone’s one-room homestead. Locals and OGers had been crammed onto the few benches with children, big and small, necessarily sitting on their parents’ laps. Nevertheless, many people had been forced to stand in the doorways and outside the house to participate in the service. Additionally, our work in and around the school and afternoon activities with the kids had made us all acutely aware that the only space for outdoor games and sport was on the town’s main road, a sloping patch of dirt and gravel, where in addition to the dangers of turning vehicles, serious falls, scrapes, and bruises were common. Needless to say the community’s need for a safer place to play and learn was obvious. And combining this need with the lack of space for women’s meetings and social gatherings, we came to the conclusion that fundraising could be used to contribute to the construction of a recreational and civic space. So a covered “Cancha“ was proposed. Not just a safe place for games, gym class, and after school sports, but a public space capable of accommodating the community’s social congregations.


The team voted and agreed that – pending the wishes of Tzibal’s 300 citizens – we would continue working with Tzibal to construct its first Centro de Comunidad.
Enthusiasm for the collaborative project hasn’t diminished. A potential design has been generously provided by Baird Sampson Neuert Architects and a new larger plot of land acquired courtesy of a local resident. However, even with the pledges of land and labour, material costs will still exceed community means and OGG’s budget. Participants have therefore channelled their enthusiasm into a renewed fundraising effort. The goal is $6,500, a daunting task but a modest sum for what will become a social hub and living testament to cross-cultural and communitarian initiative. For all those equally inspired to help, we invite, nay, we ask that you to make a pledge, small or large, Quetzal or Dollar.

On behalf of OGG 2011 and the community of Tzibal, Thank You, Gracias, and B'antiox!

Pledges and donations will be accepted on Operation Groundswell’s dojiggy fundraising site available below.

 DONATE NOW

For more information: See an executive summary of the project proposal below or please feel free to contact me or any of the other team members. Directions are at the bottom.

Project Proposal: Executive Summary

Introduction
Tzibal is a small indigenous village located about two kilometers from Campur in what I affectionately call Guatemala’s “egg carton hills”. There are about 380 Q'eqchi' residents who rely on the farming of coffee, cardamom, bananas, black pepper, and mandarins as their principle sources of income.  The community has no electricity or running water, but abundances of love, generosity, and tortillas, so many tortillas.


From OGG’s bienvenidos at the escuela, to meals with our lovely families, soccer games in the street, haircut, healthcare, and Chicky (oh so delicious chocolate covered cookies) runs to Campur,  jungle hikes, evening masses, and poolside parties, OGG spent an amazing week cultivating cross-cultural connections and, when there was time, “building” a bottle school. But it didn't end there.

OGG was so touched by the hospitality, generosity, and so taken by the genuine connections they made with the community of Tzibal that its participants decided that their work on the bottle school was just simply not enough. So, after some deliberation and a unanimous vote it was decided that OGG’s fundraising should stay with its heart, in Tzibal. For those unfamiliar with Operation Groundswell: One unique part of OG’s program is that each and every participant is required to fundraise $1000, approx. 50% of which is used to facilitate in-country contributions to local partners and projects. Approx. 35% is secured in a central OG fund for larger scale and longer termed projects while 10% is used to carbon offset all participant and TL flights.

After some reflection and community consultation, the need for a safer site to play and facility capable of accommodating community congregations was made explicit. Consequently, participants concluded that they should respond to the community’s request and contribute to the construction of a civic and recreational space, the result is “La Cancha” project, a covered outdoor Centro de Comunidad.

Enthusiasm for the collaborative project hasn’t diminished. A potential design has been generously provided by Baird Sampson Neuert Architects and a new larger plot of land acquired courtesy of a local resident. However, even with the pledges of land and labour, material costs will still exceed community means and OGG’s budget. Participants have therefore channelled their enthusiasm into a renewed fundraising effort. The goal is $6,500, a daunting task but a modest sum for what will become a social hub and living testament to cross-cultural and communitarian initiative. For all those equally inspired to help, we invite, nay, we ask that you to make a pledge, small or large, Quetzal or Dollar. Donations can be made at www.operationgroundswell.causevox.com/Tzibal

On behalf of OGG 2011 and the community of Tzibal, Thank You and B'antiox!

The current situation
Additional photos courtesy of Allie Stote and Laura Huddart

La Cancha - The Beginning

The Goal (Why Give?)

The principal goal of the Cancha project is to construct a public and multi-purpose community centre and versatile recreational infrastructure. The site is situated in close proximity to the community school facilitating its use for school related games, sports, and activities. Outside of school hours the space will be available for soccer, volleyball, and basketball providing a safe space away from the effects of alcohol and domestic violence, which remain concerns in rural communities such as Tzibal. Additionally, the community centre will provide a forum for cultural and civic gatherings, including fiestas, ferias, performances, community consultations, and the women’s group meetings. Tzibal’s access to comparable facilities is limited by its isolation. Moreover, localizing such events will promote civic engagement and cultural enrichment, sustaining and further fostering the strong sense of community already present in Tzibal.

The Way (Courtesy of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects)

Based on community consultation, OGG consulted award winning Toronto firm, Baird Sampson Neuert Architects about plausible design options. Preliminary plans were subsequently drawn up and presented to Tzibal in September 2011. The design includes a paved court with nets and goal posts. Reminiscent of a Mayan ball court, 3 tier bleachers will frame the two lengths of the Cancha. Two steel support arms and one tensioned cable in an A-frame formation will stand in each of the four corners (two tall: approx. 7 metres and two low: approx. 3 metres). The roof utilises a web of steel cabling held in tension by the rigid steel substructure. Suspended above, aluminum panelling will span the 1000m2 tented surface providing shade, shelter, and natural drainage. Beneath the two low drainage points will be 20,000+ litre cast concrete cisterns. Positioned, adjacent to the catchment cisterns will be sanitation facilities (special sinks known as pilas as well as showers) with latrines positioned nearby.

The Innovation
Courtesy of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

The Preliminary Design
Courtesy of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

The benefits of the Cancha’s innovative design and the campus’ multifunctional holism are as follows: 

1. The suspension roof and substructure minimize the use steel components reducing weight while maximizing strength and reducing overall cost by more than $10,000. 

2. The paneled cable roof is devised to act as rainwater catchment system channelling rain water from its 1000m2 surface area to cisterns below providing a sustainable public source of potable water and service to sinks (pilas) and showers on site. Average precipitation in the area can reach 400mm/year and, therefore, catchment potential is over 320,000 litres/year. 

The campus will also accommodate dry composting toilettes which will, in combination with the sinks and showers, service a sanitation and nutrition program developed by Youth Development Peace Corps worker, Hannah Gdalman. Pilas and showers will service improved community hygiene regiments, while the DAFF inspired dry composting latrines will improve waste management and provide fertilizer for a tiered fruit and vegetable garden that will in turn contribute needed nutrient rich foods to local diets.

The Second Draft
Courtesy of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

The Floor Plan
Courtesy of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

A-Frames, Cisterns, and ...
Courtesy of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

... Composting Latrines
Courtesy of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

The Budget

Project Revenue in CAD$
Tzibal Community Donation	$ 600 + all manual labour and transport
OGG 2011 Donation OGG Alum Fundraising	$ 1,500 $ 6,500
Pending OG Project Fund Request	$ 6,500
Pending OGG 2012 Donations Municipality Contribution Total Revenue	$ 2,000 Basketball/Soccer Nets $ 17,100
Project Expenses in CAD$
Land Property	$ 2,000
Gravel	$ 1,500
Steel Posts	$ 1,500
Roof Cables	$ 4,000
Aluminum Roofing	$ 3,500
Cement	$ 3,000
Goal posts/nets	no cost
“Pila” Sinks, Shower & Toilet	$ 1,000
Transport of Materials	no cost
Manual Labour	no cost
Total Expenses	$ 16,500

The Plan

The initial project proposal and preliminary design, which was developed by the OGG 2011 participants, henceforth referred to as OGG Alum, Program Coordinators, Ben Sampson and Jay Wall, as well as Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, received overwhelming support from community leaders. However, the Cancha will require approximately $20,000 worth of land, labour, and material inputs. Although, this is dramatically cheaper than similarly sized structures and more easily implementable than more traditional court designs, it nevertheless, remains well beyond the means of any single stakeholder and thus can only be achieved through a sustained collaborative initiative. For their part, OGG Alum committed $1,500 to help secure the two cuerdas of land required for the facility’s footprint and to facilitate the commencement of necessary clearing and grading. This was delivered in person on October 3, 2011 by Ben Sampson. The OGG Alum additionally pledged to raise $6,500 privately in hopes that that number would be matched by OG’s central project fund. In this regard, on October 9, 2011, a project proposal was submitted to OGHQ which included a formal request for $6,500 in grant moneys as well as provided the framework for the establishment of the Tzibal Cancha Project Fund which launched on Oct. 15, 2011. The remaining inputs will come from the community, the municipality, and locally based NGO’s in the form of financial contributions and material donations.

As of January 1, 2012, the Cancha Project Fund held contributions from five OGG Alum and their generous donors amounting to $4,000. A second transfer was subsequently made to Tzibal on March 3, 2012 so as to facilitate the requisition of materials and the commencement of construction. On March 5, 2012, OGHQ approved the grant request for $6,500 and began welcoming donations at www.operationgroundswell.causefox.com/Tzibal. May 1, 2012, is now the final deadline for the achievement of the all required revenues. Final blueprints and total funding will be subsequently transferred to on-site coordinator and community member, Eric Cuz Choc in person on May 15, 2012 with construction slated for June & July, completion set for early August, and the Cancha’s inauguration tentatively scheduled for August 2012.

But we need your help. So, please Give!

The Stakeholders

This is the wonderful and diverse group of people working together from Guatemala, Canada, and the United States to bring this project to fruition.

The Community of Tzibal San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
Hannah Gdalman Youth Development Volunteer, Peace Corps OG Financial Liaison Aldea Campur, San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala		Erick Rodolfo Cuz Choc Director, Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta OG Materials/Operations Coordinator Aldea Tzibal, San Pedro Carcha, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
Ben Sampson OG Guatemala Trip Leader Project Coordinator Toronto / Guatemala / Ghana / France ben@operationgroundswell.com ben.sampson.coburn@utoronto.ca tel. 416-505-4262 (Canada)  / 502 4679-0301 (Guatemala)		Jay Wall OG Guatemala Trip Leader Project Associate Toronto, ON jay@operationgroundswell.com tel. 416-899-6633
Allie Stote OG Guatemala Participant Project Coordinator Cambridge, MA stote.al@gmail.com tel. 781-548-1063		Allison Isaak OG Guatemala Participant Project Associate Brandon, MB allison.isaak@yahoo.ca
Chelsea Poupore OG Guatemala Participant Project Associate Oneonta, NY poupcm05@suny.oneonta.edu		Laura Huddart OG Guatemala Participant Project Associate Toronto, ON laurahuddart@gmail.com
Nichole Trudeau OG Guatemala Participant Project Associate Ottawa, ON nikki.trudeau18@hotmail.com		Eva Tong OG Guatemala Participant Project Associate Vancouver, BC e.tong02@gmail.com
Porschia Thomas OG Guatemala Participant Project Associate Ajax, ON porschia.thomas@live.ca

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Back On the Road BUT Still Off the Grid (Written for the OGG Blog)

Its day two of ITT and I have hit the proverbial wall. 4 weeks of early mornings and late nights, nursing and counselling participants, 9hr milk runs, oh and of course regularly scheduled OGG projects and activities have taken their toll. Sniffles have been joined by pressure headaches, joint pain, and body aches. I’m currently kickin’ back in a hammock slung on the dock of my bungalow hostel nestled in the mangroves of Rio Dulce, listening to the soothing sounds of nature but all I can think of are, in no particular order, budget, itinerary, my ERB protocol, my survey design, my course registration, and did I mention budget. But let’s not wallow in self-indulgent despondency for too long. The past weeks have been incredible. 9 recent strangers left the comfortable rituals of life back home in Canada (and the US), choosing instead, as I did 4 short years ago, to explore the small, funny shaped space below Mexico and allow it to leave its indelible mark on their lives. And this past week will no doubt reflect heavily on the shape that that mark will take. But first it’s worth recounting how we came to arrive in the community Tzibal, OGG’s most memorable stop yet.

By Friday afternoon the group sat weary but proud on the steps of Todos Santos’ Municipalidad after conquering the 6 day, 70km trek from Nebaj across the Cuchumatanes, that had tried patience’s and tested resolves. But after a brief charla, some spaghetti and only 12hrs of R&R, the group was on the move again, this time by bus across Highway 7W, a faint dotted line that meanders across Google maps from Huehue to Uspantán, before crawling along the steep edges of Quiche’s mountainous ridges to San Cristobal de Verapaz, then finally descends down to Cobán. 


In 2008 disaster struck this area when a section of mountain near the once beautiful Rio Negro buckled and collapsed to the valley floor below. Beneath the rubble lay a 2km stretch of Highway 7W, the only tangible connection between the highland towns and Cobán, the capital of Alta Verapaz, and economic epicentre for the region. The national government however, remains defiant in the face of local demands for the roadway’s reconstruction, citing the elevated levels of seismic activity in the area. Activity that some community members and Canadian NGO Rights Action believe is directly linked to a hydroelectric project that in addition to having plugged the Rio Negro, reducing the once mighty river to a trickle, has purportedly drilled 40km from the dam site through the bedrock to the current location of its generating station. Investigation is still pending but due to the importance of the route to the local economies, a makeshift alternative has been constructed by the surrounding communities reconnecting the misty mountains of Quiché to Alta Verapaz and Cobán’s bustling markets. Because the government is perceived to have contributed to its destruction and has thus far played no part in its reconstruction, the road has been effectively privatized, complete with guard posts on either side restricting through traffic to community sanctioned vehicles. An impressive display of autonomous community action. 


Despite the appearance of slumbering passengers on the micros which run the 2½hr journey from Uspantán to San Cristobal, however, the road is definitely not for the faint of heart. The hastily constructed dirt and gravel track is prone to wash-outs, and is often slick from the rain and mists. The Guatemalan government considers it unsafe and has posted dramatic signs warning of its perils. Lonely Planet, demonstrating a little literary panache, describes the journey:

“After a section littered with boulders, the road seems to end at the brink of an abyss, then descends relentlessly into a valley along a rock-strewn track and up again over a similarly ravaged surface, as drivers boldly navigate hairpin turns and passengers pray their vehicle doesn’t lose its grip over the muddy surface.”

RN-7W or whats left of it.

In spite of, or perhaps, because of it being quintessentially off the grid, I had planned for the group to brave this hazardous yet beautiful part of Guatemala rather than return to Guate to take the more mundane freeways. However, because the trek had forced us to leave baggage behind in Xela the crew had to be separated. At 5am I departed with Ali, Allison, Ana, and the Quetzaltrekkers guides for Xela while the rest stayed behind in Todos Santos with Jay with the intention of beginning their journey later that morning. My crew successfully arrived in Xela, visited banks, tiendas, and repacked before a lunch of tostadas and choco-bananas. Finally, we said a hasty goodbye to our adopted OG’er and friend Anna from the chicken bus door and off we went to reconnect with our team in Uspantan, saving the best part of Highway 7W for the following morning. After a good rooftop game of Apples to Apples and sweet, sweet sueños in the beautiful Hostal Don Gabriel, we were off. Weather allowed a more civilized crossing of the gorge than I had experienced during pre-con but periodic screams, and the near constant cries of “wow” kept our Guatemalan escorts entertained as OGG made its way to Cobán. After some creative troubleshooting landed the group on a farm truck for the remaining 2hr drive, the team was welcomed into Campur by Peace Corps volunteer, Hannah, and local coordinator, Eric, to begin a week of bottle school building and bonding with the neighbouring community of Tzibal.

The fearless OGG crew courageously crossing RN-7W.
 Photo Credit: Allison