“Guatemalan indigenous journalist charged with terrorism released from prison”, 10^th January 2020

…A court in Guatemala City released indigenous journalist and activist Francisco Lucas Pedro on January 3 after he spent 13 days in detention since his arrest in the northeastern department of Huehuetenango. According to the police, he is accused of terrorism and arson, but human rights groups say the arrest was illegal.

Back in 2012, a criminal court had issued an arrest warrant against Lucas based on a complaint made by World Bank-funded Ecoener Hidralia Energía. This is the Spanish firm behind Hidro Santa Cruz, the company that wanted to build a controversial water dam on the Q'am B'alam river, considered sacred by the Q'anjob'al people.

Lucas was an active participant in the civic movement against the dam, whose construction the company eventually canceled following eight years of protests, court battles, and international pressure. Ecoener Hidralia Energía left Guatemala in 2016…

Police say Lucas was charged with “coercion, threats, arson, activity against the security of the nation, terrorism, kidnapping, illegal detentions, and attack against the security of public services.” These charges against him had been allegedly dropped in 2016 for reasons that could not be verified by Global Voices.

In total, 21 land defenders had been charged in the Hidro Santa Cruz case…