Guatemala Mayan community argues before human rights court

By SONIA PÉREZ D.
Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Lawyers for an Indigenous community in eastern Guatemala are making arguments before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that could have far-reaching implications for Indigenous communities throughout the Americas. The Maya community of Agua Caliente is demanding that the Guatemalan government give them title to their land and with it the right to determine how its natural resources are exploited. The plaintiffs expect deliberations by the court seated in Costa Rica could take at least seven months. The cloudy ownership of lands near Lake Izabal has been the source of disputes in the area for decades.