human rights defender

Clemencio Barrera Daries

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Other

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Labour rights
  • Land rights

HRD's geographical origin

Rural

Current Status

Under house arrest (pre-trial)

HRD's bio and work

(AI translated) In the early hours of the morning, a massive and disproportionate police intervention took place at the Hacienda La Asunción estate, located in the San Gregorio Piedra Parada district of the municipality of Coatepeque. The operation was initiated in response to complaints deemed unfounded by the Quintanal Campollo family, and involved the deployment of ten patrol units from the National Civil Police (PNC), approximately twenty-five officers, as well as two armored vehicles from the Army. The objective of this operation was to arrest four individuals, including the elderly Clemencio Barrera. These people are part of a group of around 300 elderly workers who are demanding their rights to retirement benefits and medical care from the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS). This struggle stems from more than thirty years during which the property owners failed to collect the required contributions from the workers but never paid them to the IGSS. The people arrested are all local residents who were born and raised on the estate; therefore, their stay there is entirely legitimate and does not constitute any form of occupation. On the contrary, the Quintanal Campollo family has systematically attempted to evict them in order to expand their rubber plantation.

Detained since

Mar 2, 2026

Charge(s)

  • Other

Sentence

(AI translated) It is related to the proceedings regarding the crime of usurpation.

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean

Location of detention - City/Town

Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango

Location of detention - Facility

Subestación de PNC 41-61 Coatepeque

Documented by