This archive report was first published on 22 December 2021.
Guatemala City, December 22, 2021 - A century-old land dispute between two rival communities in Guatemala has taken a turn towards resolution, with hundreds of indigenous people lifting a roadblock after an agreement was reached for talks.
The roadblock, which had been in place since Monday, was lifted after residents from the affected communities traveled to Guatemala City to meet with government officials and discuss a legal border between the two communities.
According to Mateo Tzep, a community leader from Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan municipality, a dialogue will begin in the first half of January to discuss the issue of the border.
The conflict between the two communities, both of which are K'iche, has been ongoing for over 100 years and has resulted in violent clashes at times.
On Friday night, armed men with high-caliber weapons ambushed a group of people from Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan who were traveling to the village of Chiquix in Nahuala to pick corn. The children were cut into pieces and the victims were then burnt inside the truck they were traveling in.
President Alejandro Giammattei has declared a month-long state of siege in the two communities, banning demonstrations and the right to carry weapons.
Three men carrying M16 rifles were arrested on Sunday, and authorities have vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
