On this blog I focus much of my attention on the indigenous opposition to an illegal gold mine operated by a Canadian company near my old hometown in Guatemala. I want people to care enough to pay attention, because ignoring situations of injustice never helps the victims — it always helps the oppressor. Put another way, silence does not equal neutrality.

Today I was sent a link by someone perhaps a bit like me, a North American who grew up in Peru and now sees his old hometown on the news as his childhood neighbors have taken to the streets in a desperate effort to save their dignity and prevent irreversible damage to their land and local economy. As you’ll see in the video below, these protests aren’t convenient for anyone, and certainly not for the protesters. But consider the reasons why these indigenous farmers would go to such lengths to make their voices heard. It’s not because they’re bored or looking for a “cause.”

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