Guatemala arrests ex-police official, 18 others in protester deaths

Guatemala arrests ex-police official, 18 others in protester deaths
by Staff Writers
Guatemala City (AFP) May 6, 2015

Guatemalan authorities on Wednesday arrested 18 police officers and a former senior police official for the death last year of three indigenous opponents of a hydroelectric project.

The activists -- Luciano Can Jucub, 40, Sebastian Rax, 45, and Oscar Chen, 25 -- were killed August 15, 2014 during a police crackdown on protests against the Hidro Santa Rita project in the northern province of Alta Verapaz.

Among those arrested was a former deputy director of operations of the National Civil Police, Pedro Lopez, who faces charges of extrajudicial execution, obstruction of justice, failure to render aid and abuse of authority. The others face similar charges.

Mining activities and the construction of hydroelectric plants in Guatemala have generated strong protests by environmentalists, farmers and indigenous people who see the megaprojects as threats to the environment.

The Hidro Santa Rita project, the target of last year's protests, is backed by Guatemalan and Honduran investors.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks

del.icio.us

Digg

Google

ORNL scientists generate landmark DOE hydropower report
Oak Ridge TN (SPX) May 01, 2015
For the first time, industry and policymakers have a comprehensive report detailing the U.S. hydropower fleet's 2,198 plants that provide about 7 percent of the nation's electricity. The 98-page report by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers Rocio Uria-Martinez, Patrick O'Connor and Megan Johnson is a resource that describes key features of the nation's hydr ... read more

Nepal quake leaves children traumatised

A century on, Lebanon rediscovers deadly famine

Quake-hit Nepal villagers take aid into their own hands

Nepal tragedy takes toll even on cremation overseers

MIPT researchers grow cardiac tissue on 'spider silk' substrate

Seeing Stars Through The Cloud

Autonomous convergence and divergence of self-powered soft liquid metals

Space radiation may harm astronauts' brains: study

Guatemala arrests ex-police official, 18 others in protester deaths

A model approach for sustainable phosphorus recovery from wastewater

Quenching the thirst for clean, safe water

'Dead zones' found in Atlantic open waters

Dutch polar explorers likely drowned: Canada police

NASA contributes to first global review of Arctic marine mammals

UT research uncovers lakes, signs of life under Antarctica's dry valleys

Scientists discover salty aquifer and microbial habitat under Antarctica

Norway plans to slash subsidies to fur farms

Pesticides alter bees' brains

Organic farming techniques can make agriculture a carbon sink

Simulating seasons

Nepal devastation a 'wake-up call' for vulnerable region

'Boulders size of vans' hit Nepal trekking village after quake

World's biggest hurricane simulator aims to improve forecasts

Volcanic warning at Japanese hot springs resort

Nigeria military claims rescue of another 25 Boko Haram hostages

Sudan military shoots down 'aerial target' near capital: army

Troops kill 28 suspected militants in central Nigeria: military

DR Congo grants amnesty to hundreds of M23 rebels

Can skull shape determine what food was on prehistoric plates

Study finds ancient clam beaches not so natural

Human weapons may not have caused the demise of the Neanderthals

Insight into how brain makes memories

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.