Humberto Gabriel Cuc Coc
Humberto Gabriel Cuc Coc is a Maya Q’eqchi’ human rights defender from Santa María Cotoxja, a village located in the southern area of the municipality of El Estor in Izabal, working for the rights of Indigenous peoples, land, territory, and environment. Currently, he also serves as a Maya Q’eqchi’ ancestral authority and as a member of the Autoridades Ancestrales de Iximulew (Ancestral Authorities of Iximulew), a space that brings together the legitimate authorities of the Garifuna, Xinka, and Maya peoples from different territories in Guatemala.
The human rights defender is known for supporting communities that resist monoculture plantations, which pollute the environment and disrupt ways of life, as well as communities that resist violence caused by mining exploitation in their territories. This includes communities affected by NaturAceites palm oil plantation, as well as those impacted by the mining activities of Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN), Compañía Procesadora de Níquel de Izabal (PRONICO), and Fenix Nickel Co. As a result of this work, Humberto has been the target of threats and harassment, especially by employees of such companies.
Humberto is also a member of the resistance against mining exploitation in Izabal, a movement organised by the Ancestral Maya Q'eqchi' Council, the Q'eqchi' communities and the fishermen of El Estor and surrounding municipalities in response to the ongoing violence faced by the communities in their territories. The movement aims to defend the territory and protect Lake Izabal from the numerous human rights violations resulting from the mining activities of Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN), Compañía Procesadora de Níquel de Izabal (PRONICO) and Fenix Nickel Co (mostly funded by US capital through the Swiss-based subsidiary Solway Investment Group).
The resistance movement is now concerned about the granting of two further mining licences in El Estor territory. The communities have denounced the fact that the companies previously acquired the land and the area surrounding their mining projects through processes historically linked to severe human rights violations against Maya Q’eqchi’ people. These violations have been well documented, and the companies have been granted extraction and export licences over the years without properly implementing prior, free and informed consultation with the affected communities.
Since Otto Pérez Molina assumed the role of President in January 2012, cases of harassment and threats against HRDs have been on the rise. Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Guatemala are subjected to death threats, physical attacks, acts of harassment, surveillance, stigmatisation, judicial harassment, arbitrary detention, forced disappearance and killings. Many of the violations are carried out by clandestine security structures and illegal groups. The exceptionally high level of impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators increases the risk exponentially for HRDs.
