Juana Sanchez

Juana Sanchez was a survivor. Originally from Nebaj, she was forced to flee her community when the army began to impliment the US-backed ¨scorched earth policy¨ in the early 1980s. Refusing to leave the country, she went to Chajul and joined a CPR, or Community of Populations in Resistance. As part of the mobile community she often slept in caves and tunnels dug in the earth to stay safe from bombing raids. She was always ready to carry her few possesions on her back when the army came too close to the community.

She survived the massacres but was left in abject poverty because of the massive theft of land by the military. After the final Peace Accords were signed in 1996, she would frequently travel with her children to the south coast to work on sugar cane and other plantations for a minimal salary. She took a leadership role in organizing Maya Ixil families to demand the government recompensate them for their losses during the war. After years of being ignored by the government, she joined hundreds of other leaders and occupied part of a military base in Nebaj on June 30, 2006. The date had great significance - it was both the government`s ¨Army Day¨ and it was the day before CAFTA (a devastating free trade agreement with the United States) took effect. Juana helped the community stay organized (for more information on the community check http://guatemalasolidarityproject.org/30dejunio.htm), planted corn on her small plot and started sending her kids to school.

Juana could not survive forever. Recently, unknown assailants murdered her. No arrests have been made, and community leaders expect that the military was behind the attack. Juana`s five children were left orphaned.

Seventeen year old Juan suddenly finds himself acting as father of four. He has found a job working as a brick layer for a small wage. He is determined to continue his studies. Because he has spent most of his short life escaping poverty and violence he has the additional challenge of only being in 6th grade. The community has found a small apartment for the children to stay at for free in Nebaj. But the community is extremely poor and not able to help with other needs of the family. For this reason we are asking for donations to help the family. To send a donation, write a check out to ¨UPAVIM Community Development Foundation¨ and send it to Upavim, c/o Laurie Levinger, 28 McKenna Rd, Norwich, VT 05055. Write ¨martyrs¨ in the memo line so that we make sure the funds go to the family of Juana and to support other children of recently murdered community leaders in Guatemala.