Guatemala: killings linked to Canadian mineral interest?

(WW4 Report) -- Two Qeqchi Maya leaders were shot and killed and over a dozen wounded this week near the site of a shuttered nickel mine in Guatemala. The first shooting took place Sept. 27 on land claimed by the community of Las Nubes, which Compañia Guatemalteca de Niquel (CGN), a subsidiary of Manitoba's HudBay Minerals, also claims to own. Early reports indicated CGN's private security guards opened fire while attempting to remove families from their land. Adolfo Ichi Chamán, a teacher and community leader, was killed and at least eight more wounded by AK-47 fire.

During Chamán's funeral service, thousands marched through the streets of El Estor, demanding the company and the local police chief withdraw from the area within 24 hours.

HudBay released a lengthy statement claiming that there were no evictions, but that "protestors" went on a rampage, attacking a local police station and destroying a hospital built by US-based NGOs, wounding five employees. The Hudbay statement claims the protesters proceeded to open fire on each other.