On 16 January 2021, Xinca defender Julio David González Arango was shot by an armed man on a property
he owns in Mataquescuintla, a town in the Jalapa department, south-east Guatemala. Julio González is now
safe and recovering from injuries. He has been a public leader defending the rights of the Xinca people
against the Pan American Silver’s Escobal mine and has been attacked in the past due to his work. We call
on the Guatemala’s General Attorney to conduct a prompt, independent, and impartial investigation into the
attack against Julio González and any other previous aggression against the Xinca People.
Index Number: AMR 34/3572/2021