Ecocide in Sayaxché Petén

Elitier Angel Pérez, 21 years old, greets you. I currently teach at the Nufed Educational Family Nucleus for Development Education Center No. 427 of the Caserío Las Pozas Sayaxché Petén.
I will begin by telling you about an event that occurred in the majestic river Río La Pasión, which is located in the municipality of Sayaxché, Petén department.

On 29 April 2015, in the jurisdiction of the village of El Pato, dozens of dead fish appeared in Río La Pasión, due to water pollution from chemical substances that had reached the river. The situation was, however, downplayed. It was not until 30 May that, for the second time and with greater effect, hundreds of dead fish of various sizes appeared, starting from the village of Arroyo San Martín to the village of Aldea Canaán. This was more than 105 km along the river.

This event, called and cataloged as Ecocide against humanity, affected more than 10 species of fish, as well as amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Additionally, this greatly affected families living on the banks of the river whose livelihood depended on fishing and whose main source of water came from the river. The African Palm Company Repsa is accused of being the main culprit behind the damage caused, given evidence that was discovered like samples of a chemical substance called Malathion in their oxidation ponds, and above all not having an environmental impact, although this industry denies any responsibility for what happened. This was relevant news at the national and international level and is currently still being discussed in some courts in the United States.

So, through this I would like to invite people and institutions to become aware, and to change our attitude so that we avoid polluting water sources, knowing that we are causing many species to be affected, and bearing in mind that this vital liquid is so essential for us as living beings. Today, more than a year after what happened and throughout this time there have been walks, marches, and vigils in various parts of the country, as well as forums and press conferences demanding justice, but unfortunately, this remains unclear. Nevertheless, we continue to have hope, and the objective is to get everything back to the way it was before, to everything that was there, that generations had preserved for a long time. So, the dream persists, and I take part in this dream.

Translated by Emmanuella A. Kyereme

Edited: Andru Shively (VUB)