“The 11 women’s accounts of the trauma that the alleged gang-rapes caused them are unfathomable. Five were pregnant at the time; four miscarried, and one, three days from her due date when she was allegedly gang-raped, said in a deposition that she gave birth to a stillborn that “was all blue or green.””
On September 26, 2020, The Intercept published “EVICTING LOTE OCHO. How a Canadian Mining Company Infiltrated the Guatemalan State”. This is the most in depth article yet into the Lote Ocho sexual violence case (one of three lawsuits comprising the landmark Hudbay Minerals lawsuits).
“Evicting Lote Ocho” focuses extensively on internal Hudbay Minerals/Skye Resources corporate documents made public through the lawsuits. These documents show clear knowledge about and approval from the highest offices of the Skye Resources company (later amalgamated with Hudbay Minerals) about highly controversial and negligent, if not criminal behavior on behalf of the company, before, during and after the January 17, 2007 gang-rapes of eleven Lote Ocho villagers, during the violent eviction and destruction of their entire community.
Accounts of the trauma
Included in the article are excerpts of transcripts of the eleven women’s examinations for discovery (depositions) as conducted by Hudbay Mineral’s team of lawyers. These transcripts were filed in court by Hudbay Minerals.
The courageous plaintiffs from Lote Ocho were again consulted with before The Intercept published the excerpts. The women agreed to publish them, saying again they want their testimonies known, that they have been fighting these lawsuits against Hudbay for 10 years because they want the truth known about what happened, and they want justice done.
Maya Q’eqchi’ women from Lote Ocho community, victims of sexual violence by roving groups of Guatemalan police and military, and private security guards working for Skye Resources (later amalgamated with Hudbay Minerals). These are eleven of the thirteen plaintiffs in the landmark Hudbay Minerals lawsuits – the other two being Angelica Choc, widow of the assassinated community defender Adolfo Ich, and German Chub, a local campesino shot and left paralyzed by Hudbay’s security guards. (Photo, September 24, 2020, educational gathering in El Estor, Guatemala, hosted by Mujeres Transformando el Mundo.)
Court hearing: Sept. 30, 2020, 10am
On Sept. 30, the precedent setting Hudbay Minerals lawsuits will continue with a ‘virtual hearing’ in Toronto. The Ontario Superior Court will hear an appeal by Hudbay of a January 2020 decision strongly in favor of the eleven Q’eqchi’ women plaintiffs, victims of the 2007 rapes linked to Hudbay Minerals (then Skye Resources).
Plaintiffs’ lawyers
Murray Klippenstein, murray.klippenstein@klippensteins.ca
Cory Wanless, cory@waddellphillips.ca
General information
About Mayan Q’eqchi justice and territorial defense struggles related to Hudbay/Skye’s former mining operation in Guatemala, now owned and operated by Solway Investment Group: Grahame Russell, Rights Action, grahame@rightsaction.org
Hudbay Minerals ARCHIVES
https://rightsaction.org/hudbay-minerals-archives
