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Two women hold a sign at a Xinka demonstration in Guatemala city announcing the results of a historic consultation process.
Blog Entry

Xinka Delegation to Tour Eastern Canada to Demand Respect for Indigenous Self-Determination in Guatemala 

Viviana Herrera

Latin America Program Coordinator

A Delegation of Xinka Women will visit Eastern Canada in September 2025  #PuebloXinkaDijoNo 

After nearly seven years in a court-ordered consultation process, the Xinka Indigenous People of Guatemala have denied consent for the restart of Canadian Pan American Silver’s Escobal mine in southern Guatemala. The Xinka are now calling for its permanent closure. The company and Canadian authorities must respect their decision in accord with their rights to self-determination.  

From September 11-23, 2025, two Xinka women leaders, Marisol Guerra and Marta Muñoz, will visit the Maritimes, Toronto and Ottawa to raise awareness about their struggle for self-determination and the health of their communities. They will speak to their concerns about the silver mine, threats and attacks against the Xinka People, the challenges they have faced during the consultation process, and their hopes for the future.

The risks of mining without the consent of the Xinka People are already clear based on the early years of the Escobal project. 

The Escobal mine, originally owned by Tahoe Resources, was forced into production in early 2014 using violent repression by private security, police and military, as well as a campaign to defame and criminalize community leaders. Several members of the resistance, including 16-year-old Topacio Reynoso, were murdered during this time. A shooting attack by the company’s security on peaceful protesters outside the mine in 2013 led to a civil lawsuit against the company in British Columbia courts. Pan American Silver settled the case with the Guatemalan plaintiffs in 2019.

Key events:

Maritimes Speaking Tour

  • Thursday, September 11 @ 6:30 pm: Atrium 101, St. Mary’s University (SMU), Halifax, NS
  • Friday, September 12 @ 7 pm: Tatamagouche Centre, Tatamagouche, NS (at the BTS 2025 Annual Gathering)
  • Monday, September 15 @ 7 pm: Conserver House, 180 Saint John Street, Fredericton, NB
  • Tuesday, September 16 @ 7 pm: Murphy’s Community Centre, Room 207, 200 Richmond Street, Charlottetown, PE

Toronto: September 18 - 19

  • Thursday September 18th @ 5-7pm: York University, Kaneff Tower 519

Peterborough: September 19 - 20

  • September 19th @ 7-9pm: Trent University, Stohn Hall.

Ottawa: September 22 - 23

  • September 23 @10-11am: Press Conference in Parliament Hill press room 135-B in West Bloc

  • September 23rd @ 5:30-8pm: UOttawa, Faculty of Social Sciences

Check back for details on events in each region 

Who will be joining the delegation?

Aura Marisol Guerra is an Indigenous Xinka woman and human rights defender from the community of Santa Rosa de Lima. She is the President of the Xinka Women’s Commission and  was named by her community to participate in the seven-year consultation process over the future of Pan American Silver’s Escobal mine.

Marta Muñoz Montenegro is an Indigenous Xinka woman and human rights defender from the community of San Antonio Las Flores, Mataquescuintla who was named by her community to participate in the seven-year consultation process over the future of Pan American Silver’s Escobal mine.

Delegation endorsed by:

Americas Policy Group coalition (APG)

BC Casa-Cafe Justicia

Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability (CNCA)

Codevelopment Canada

Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine (CDHAL)

Common Frontiers

Earthworks

Inter Pares

Institute for Policy Studies - Global Economy Program

Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network

Mining Justice Action Committee, Victoria, BC

Mining Justice Alliance

MiningWatch Canada

Mining Injustice Solidarity Network (MISN)

Victoria Central America Support Committee (VCASC) 

Victoria Peace Coalition, Victoria, BC

Trent University Global Development Studies department

Trent University Human Rights and Global Justice department

Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) 

Institute of Political Economy, Carleton University

Observatory on Violence, Criminalization and Democracy, University of Ottawa