Davies, Jessica

Last year, Peace News featured the story of the assassination in Chiapas, Mexico, of the community leader and defender of the land, Juan Vázquez Guzmán. In recognition of the first anniversary of his killing, 'Two Weeks of Worldwide Action: Juan Vázquez Guzmán lives! The Bachajón struggle continues!', have been called, from Thursday 24 April to Thursday 8 May. As part of this initiative, the screening of the film…

Waterfalls in Agua Azul, Chiapas, Mexico.
photo: Deisy560 [CC-BY-SA-3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

On 24 April, Juan Vázquez Guzmán, indigenous Tzeltal, aged only 32, the father of two small children aged four and seven, a human rights defender and much-loved community leader, was gunned down in the doorway of his home.

The territory and community for which Juan gave his life was the communal landholding (ejido) of San Sebastián Bachajón, in the jungle…