"Illiteracy, social exclusion and racism against the Mayan and other indigenous peoples prevails in our country," says Juan Tiney a leader of the Guatemalan peasant movement. 

I am a leader of the Guatemalan peasant and indigenous movement, and of the global peasants movements La Via Campesina and its Latin-American section The Latin America Coordination of Peasants Organizations (CLOC).

Illiteracy, social exclusion and racism against the Mayan and other indigenous peoples (68% of the population) prevails in Guatemala.

The current government, which represents the local oligarchy, is undertaking a policy of open repression against indigenous people, particularly the Mayan communities. 

We are persecuted by legal and illegal means, and peasant organisations like La Via Campesina suffer repeated violence.

The authorities try to break the people’s resistance against the free trade area with the USA and privatization of water and services.

Despite the fact that agrarian conflicts are on-going, preventing peasants’ access to land, the government refuses to take action to defend poor peoples rights.

Meanwhile poverty and hunger are widespread among indigenous and rural communities.