Guatemala, people march to dignify social activists

*More than 40% of the population does not have decent access to health care *More than 200 marginalized communities fight for health care

Transcript

00:00Guatemala, the people of Ixcan, Chiche, are dismayed by the death of three fighters who

00:06defended the right to health of the marginalized.

00:09With a caravan they paid tribute to the commitment they fulfilled until the end.

00:14Watch the following story by our correspondent Santiago Bottone.

00:17A mother with her son in her arms joined the crowd that came out to dignify three social

00:25activists who died in a traffic accident while returning from the Guatemalan capital

00:30to demand the right to health for the Ixcanico people.

00:33We return with sad and regrettable news that today leaves us with a great void within the

00:38people of Ixcan and within the entire committee of struggle.

00:42Among the deceased are a professional nurse and two community authorities, one of whom

00:49is Pedro Ricardo Gomez, re-elected on January 30th, who swore to defend his land and just

00:56It is unthinkable that we should have to ask for projects, but hopefully the death of these

01:02three brothers will make our rulers aware of the neglect they have done to their people.

01:09In Guatemala, more than 40% of the population does not have decent access to health care.

01:16In the municipality of Ixcan, it is even more critical because eight years ago a hospital

01:21project was abandoned due to corruption, according to those affected.

01:27What we want is the continuity of the hospital, that it be completed because we want dignified

01:31care for our population, and that was our objective for the trip.

01:36The fight for the right to health care, denied by the state, is only part of a long battle

01:42that several of the more than 200 marginalized communities have been waging since they settled

01:47the land more than half a century ago, they say.

01:52We have this history of struggle and resistance and this is the reality of Primavera, but

01:56we take these steps in defense of human rights, for the common good of the community and of

02:00the municipality and at the national level.

02:05The death of these three health martyrs coincides with the 43rd anniversary of the first massacre

02:10perpetrated by the army in Ixcan.

02:14The Cuarto Pueblo massacre marked the beginning of the scorched earth policy in Guatemala.

02:19The army killed more than 400 people, including children, the elderly and pregnant women in

02:24the village of Cuarto Pueblo, Ixcan, on March 13 and 14, 1982.