The Inspiration of Xalala - Part 1

By: 
Aviva Imhof

Location of Xalala Dam
Location of Xalala Dam
INDE
A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting communities that would be affected by the proposed Xalalá Dam in Guatemala. It was an inspiring and harrowing experience. Inspiring to witness the organization and strength of communities threatened by the dam: indigenous people proud of their heritage and determined to fight to retain it. Harrowing to hear stories of the legacy of the war and genocide that killed so many people in the area and forever changed the lives of the survivors. To these people, who have been through war, displacement, violence and dispossession, and who have benefited so little from government services since the Peace Accords were signed in 1996, the dam is a new kind of war.

The Xalalá Dam would be built on the Chixoy River downstream of the existing Chixoy Dam, in Alta Verapaz and Quiche departments in northwestern Guatemala, near the border with Mexico. The project would affect more than 14,000 indigenous people who would lose land, crops, fisheries and other resources to the reservoir and associated construction works. A major resource for the region, the Chixoy River is currently used for transportation and water supply. The surrounding floodplain is also a very fertile agricultural area where much of the corn for the region is grown. In 2007, Ixcan Municipality, one of the main areas that would be affected by the dam, held a "consulta popular" or community referendum on the dam. 90% voted against the dam. While these consultas are a recognized part of municipal law, the Constitutional Court has ruled that they are not binding on the central government. 

The Xalala Dam would flood this area.
The Xalala Dam would flood this area.
Aviva Imhof
Our visit started in the town of Nimlajacoc, a tiny muddy outpost where community mayors from surrounding villages gathered to meet us, hear about the international movement to stop destructive dams, and tell us their stories. Person after person stood up and recounted horrific stories about the war and genocide that they had experienced in the 1980s. For them, the fear of the dam is palpable - it will divide the communities, lead to yet more displacement and deprive them of the natural resources upon which they depend. Said one leader: "Money is like candy for us, the land is our wealth. We have wealth in our natural resources. That's why we don't want the dam. Water is our life." Others referred to the dam as "an economic war." 

A memorial to the victims of genocide in the area.
A memorial to the victims of genocide in the area.
Aviva Imhof
At first I didn't quite understand why people equated the dam with the war. But after listening to testimony after testimony, it all fell into place. These people have been through so much suffering, and benefited so little from the government over the years. Official government figures will tell you that Quiche and Alta Verapaz are the poorest areas in the country. Some 80% of the population in these areas live in poverty, and over 94% of the population are indigenous. Most remain without electricity, without access to schools above 6th grade, without roads or other forms of transportation, without healthcare, without any of the basics that government should provide. They have lived without these things for generations. And yet, when the government decides it does want to intervene in the area, it is to build a massive dam with private sector involvement, displacing communities and livelihoods. These people are not stupid. They know the history of the Chixoy Dam in Guatemala - a history of poverty, genocide and displacement - and they're determined to stop history from repeating itself. They have no reason to trust the government when it says it will take care of them, since the government has done virtually nothing over the decades to show that they matter. In fact, the government intervention that did come in the 1980s was one of war and genocide.

Read Part 2 of the blog.