Another story from Polochic

I got a call from Raul around 7:30pm. He told me that he finally had heard from the leaders from Los Recuerdos. The meeting was on for the next morning. It was about an hour later than we expected by the time everybody had arrived. And there were more people than we originally expected. Mirralvalle and Recuerdos were both represented. To my surprise, the women that had come were the family of Antonio Beb Ac, a young man who was killed during a violent eviction in March of this year. His wife Marta and her mother had both come to tell their stories. They had another meeting planned in El Estor that day, but agreed to come by the hotel we could have a chat.

We were going around the circle, presenting ourselves to the group. I spoke first, and then Benancio from Miralvalle went next. When it was Martha’s turn, she took a deep breath and began to speak in Q’eqchi. Within a few words, she was sobbing, choking back tears, and wiping her eyes with her guipil. The tone of her voice was pained, but that can only begin to describe it. I didn’t know what she was saying, but I already new the story. The woman before me had a huge part of her life taken away four months ago - her home, her crops, her clothes and her husband. All that she has from her life before the evictions are her three children. The translation confirmed all of this:

“No one wants to loose their family. My children ask for food, but I have nothing to give. I try to grow food but I have no land. If there is anybody out there, if there is anyone that can support me, I would gladly accept, as I have received almost nothing from anyone.” Her mother added “If there are any organizations that can support us through this time, we need their help. We live with almost nothing.”

She wants the company to take responsibility for the loss of her livelihood, as well as the death her husband. There is a criminal investigation into killing, and an arrest warrant has been issued, but the suspect is still at large. Only time will tell what justice the case will produce. In the mean time, she is struggling to feed here children. She has three children to support, with a home and with food. She is struggling to do either. She is looking for support from who ever and where ever she can find it, be it an organization or an individual.

Where does the company stand in all of this. For the companies representatives, they feel they are doing the state a favor, meeting at the First Lady's behest. For the companies lawyers in regards to the land struggle, there isn't anything to talk about and nothing to compensate. In this type of 'invasion', the company holds themselves as the plaintiffs, fighting to uphold the state-protected institution of private property. Dealing with death of Marta's husband, and the loss of the rest of the community is the last thing on their agenda. In the words of Mr. Widmann [owner of Chabil Utzaj SA] during an interview, “Who, after all, would care about simple Antonio Beb Ac?”