Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) Archives

How a Maritime organization supports Xinka land defenders in Guatemala

February 11, 2021

The story is a familiar one here in Nova Scotia. With full support of the government and without meaningful consultation a precious metal mine is built in a community, leaving residents worried about blasting, water quality and other environmental concerns. The same thing is happening in Guatemala, only much more brutally so. A Canadian-owned mine is vehemently opposed by local Xinka communities, and the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking The Silence Network (BTS) tries to amplify their voices internationally.

Press release: Coast to coast support for migrant detainees on hunger strike in Quebec due to risks of COVID-19 #HungerStrikeLaval

March 28, 2020

Press release: Medical professionals, human rights organizers, and supporters from coast to coast came together virtually to denounce the catastrophic legal, medical, and moral consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on incarcerated migrants. The press conference took place as migrants at the Laval Immigration Detention Centre entered their fifth day of an indefinite hunger strike.

PSA: Xinka Parliament and Breaking the Silence stand in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders

February 26, 2020

PSA: The Xinka Parliament and the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) support and stand in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders, who are resisting the incursion of the Coastal Gaslink (CGL) pipeline on their unceded territory.

Press release: Lawyer to speak in Halifax about struggle for justice by Maya-Achi women

October 30, 2019

Press release: On October 30th at 5:30pm, Gloria Reyes of the Rabinal Legal Clinic will speak at the Schulich School of Law (Room 104) at Dalhousie University. She’ll speak about the case of 36 Maya-Achi women seeking justice for sexual violence committed at the height of Guatemala’s 36 year internal armed conflict.

Press release: Lawyer in Maya-Achi sexual violence case in Guatemala to speak throughout the Maritimes

October 24, 2019

From October 26-30th, Gloria Reyes of the Rabinal Legal Clinic will speak throughout the Maritimes about the case of 36 Maya-Achi women seeking justice for sexual violence committed at the height of Guatemala’s 36 year internal armed conflict. The speaking tour, organized by the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS), will have events in Tatamagouche, Moncton, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Antigonish and Halifax.

A concert rooted in a 2014 protest: Dave Gunning and Garnet Rogers fundraiser for Breaking the Silence on June 2nd

May 24, 2019

The story behind the upcoming June 2nd concert in Tatamagouche by Dave Gunning and Garnet Rogers.

Weekend video: The shadow of gold – trailer

May 4, 2019

A new documentary, The shadow of Gold, about gold mining in Canada and world-wide, will be shown this Tuesday at the Central Library in Halifax. With gold mining on the increase in Nova Scotia ,we feature the documentary’s trailer and highly recommend that you check it out.

Press release: Canadian government reneges on promise to create independent human rights watchdog for corporations operating abroad

April 9, 2019

News release by the tireless Breaking the Silence Maritimes-Guatemala Solidarity Network: “The Government of Canada failed today to appoint an independent Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) with real powers to investigate abuses and redress the harm caused by Canadian companies operating abroad.”

Press release: Mayra Jimenez to speak throughout the Maritimes on the 2017 Hogar Seguro fire and the movement for gender justice in Guatemala

February 27, 2019

News release: From February 28 to March 9, Mayra Jimenez of the 8 Tijax collective will speak throughout the Maritimes about the ongoing struggle for justice for the 41 girls and young women killed in a fire at the state-run centre for children and youth Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción in Guatemala on March 8, 2017.

Guatemala is in crisis and Canada must act

January 15, 2019

As a rule we focus on local stories in the Nova Scotia Advocate, but we gladly break that rule for this article by María José Yax-Fraser on the desperate situation in Guatemala and how Canada should act in defence of all those who are struggling to maintain the rule of law there.