Project
Liliana Ávila /AIDAMayan women’s struggle before the Inter-American Development Bank in Guatemala
Mayan communities succeeded in getting the IDB Invest to develop a responsible exit plan after withdrawing its financing for two hydroelectric projects that negatively impacted ecosystems and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples, especially women, in the micro-region of Yichk'isis (Ixquisis).
In the struggle to defend their water, territory and way of life, indigenous Mayan communities in the Yichk'isis (Ixquisis) micro-region of northern Guatemala convinced the Inter-American Development Bank Group to withdraw its financing of two hydroelectric dams whose implementation violated their rights. The decision was also significant in that the IDB, for the first time, designed a responsible exit plan.
That historic advance was the result of the complaint that the communities filed in August 2018—with the support of AIDA, the Plurinational Ancestral Government of the Akateko, Chuj, and Q'anjob'al Native Nations, and the International Platform against Impunity. The complaint was filed with the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI), the IDB Group's accountability office.
In resolving the case in September 2021, the MICI concluded that IDB Invest failed to comply with its own operational policies and safeguards, in the framework of the financing granted to the company Energía y Renovación S.A. for the implementation of the San Mateo and San Andrés hydroelectric projects.
Learn more about this achievement
In the mountains of Northwestern Guatemala, near the border with Mexico, the land is rich and fertile. Several important rivers and many other water sources feed the soil.
The residents of these mountains, many indigenous women of Mayan descent, have long depended on the waters to nourish them, to provide them with fish, as well as for agriculture, sanitation, and cooking.
But the construction of the San Mateo and San Andres dams has caused water scarcity and the contamination of rivers and other natural resources long cherished by the communities.
The near lack of water has also drastically reduced harvests, lessening the income gained from selling corn, wheat, beans, coffee, sugar cane and other products in the market. As a result, the conditions of poverty in the area have deepened.
And the risk situation is profound, particularly for women, who have played a very important role in the defense of water and territory threatened by hydroelectric projects, and are therefore victims of intimidation and stigmatization.
As guardians of their land and water, they have come to its defense and they’ll continue to prevent environmental deterioration from further harming their families.
Read our fact sheet on the case
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Success stories are the result of processes that take time, perseverance and joint actions. Faced with the challenges of environmental degradation and the climate crisis, these precepts are more relevant than ever. They are a reminder that the defense of the environment is collective and long-term. For AIDA, 2022 was a year of important achievements in our efforts to contribute to environmental and climate justice in Latin America. These advances demonstrate the importance of collaboration and persistence. They are in turn precedents for litigation, advocacy and alliance-building in favor of the broader regional movement of which we are a part. 1. LA OROYA POLLUTION VICTIMS HEARD BY INTER-AMERICAN COURT People affected by toxic contamination from a metal smelter in the Andean city of La Oroya, Peru, presented their case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. More than 20 years after taking the case, AIDA succeeded in presenting their case before the international court and demonstrating the Peruvian government's responsibility in the violation of their rights. The eventual ruling is a historic opportunity to establish a key precedent upholding the right to a healthy environment in Latin America. LEARN MORE 2. DIGITAL PLATFORM STRENGTHENS CLIMATE LITIGATION IN LATIN AMERICA Climate litigation has the power to accelerate corporate and government accountability in the face of the climate crisis, and push actions to protect communities and ecosystems. To strengthen this growing movement, we created the Climate Litigation Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean, which currently displays more than 50 legal cases involving climate arguments. It is our contribution to facilitating the exchange of strategies and arguments among those who use the courts to defend the planet. LEARN MORE 3. INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT CONTRIBUTES TO OCEAN RESILIENCE AIDA was part of the efforts of organizations, governments, academia and the private sector to reach a binding agreement at the World Trade Organization to curb harmful fisheries subsidies, including those that encourage illegal, overfished and unregulated fishing on the high seas. This will help reduce threats to the ocean, a key ally in addressing the climate crisis due to its ability to absorb the planet's excess heat and carbon dioxide emissions. LEARN MORE 4. REGIONAL ALLIANCE ELEVATES THE VOICE OF THE CLIMATE JUSTICE MOVEMENT In response to the need to change the narrative about the climate crisis and strengthen the voice of the movement for a just energy transition in the region, Presentes was born, an alliance coordinated by AIDA that brings together organizations, communities and environmental advocates. We joined together to communicate more strategically and reach more people through the exchange of knowledge and experiences, pedagogy, the use of digital tools and internal capacity building LEARN MORE We invite you to learn more about these achievements and AIDA's work during the year in our 2022 Annual Report
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Success stories are the result of processes that take time, perseverance and joint actions. Faced with the challenges of environmental degradation and the climate crisis, these precepts are more relevant than ever. They are a reminder that the defense of the environment is collective and long-term. For AIDA, 2022 was a year of important achievements in our efforts to contribute to environmental and climate justice in Latin America. These advances demonstrate the importance of collaboration and persistence. They are in turn precedents for litigation, advocacy and alliance-building in favor of the broader regional movement of which we are a part. 1. LA OROYA POLLUTION VICTIMS HEARD BY INTER-AMERICAN COURT People affected by toxic contamination from a metal smelter in the Andean city of La Oroya, Peru, presented their case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. More than 20 years after taking the case, AIDA succeeded in presenting their case before the international court and demonstrating the Peruvian government's responsibility in the violation of their rights. The eventual ruling is a historic opportunity to establish a key precedent upholding the right to a healthy environment in Latin America. LEARN MORE 2. DIGITAL PLATFORM STRENGTHENS CLIMATE LITIGATION IN LATIN AMERICA Climate litigation has the power to accelerate corporate and government accountability in the face of the climate crisis, and push actions to protect communities and ecosystems. To strengthen this growing movement, we created the Climate Litigation Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean, which currently displays more than 50 legal cases involving climate arguments. It is our contribution to facilitating the exchange of strategies and arguments among those who use the courts to defend the planet. LEARN MORE 3. INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT CONTRIBUTES TO OCEAN RESILIENCE AIDA was part of the efforts of organizations, governments, academia and the private sector to reach a binding agreement at the World Trade Organization to curb harmful fisheries subsidies, including those that encourage illegal, overfished and unregulated fishing on the high seas. This will help reduce threats to the ocean, a key ally in addressing the climate crisis due to its ability to absorb the planet's excess heat and carbon dioxide emissions. LEARN MORE 4. REGIONAL ALLIANCE ELEVATES THE VOICE OF THE CLIMATE JUSTICE MOVEMENT In response to the need to change the narrative about the climate crisis and strengthen the voice of the movement for a just energy transition in the region, Presentes was born, an alliance coordinated by AIDA that brings together organizations, communities and environmental advocates. We joined together to communicate more strategically and reach more people through the exchange of knowledge and experiences, pedagogy, the use of digital tools and internal capacity building LEARN MORE We invite you to learn more about these achievements and AIDA's work during the year in our 2022 Annual Report
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