human rights defender

Maria Teresa Barrera Canastuy

HRD's Gender

Woman

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 prompted by complaints deemed unfounded by the Quintanal Campollo family. Ten patrols from the National Civil Police (PNC), approximately twenty-five officers, and two armored vehicles from the Army were deployed in this response. The objective of this operation was to arrest four individuals, including the elderly Maria Teresa Barrera Canastuy, who are part of a group of around 300 elderly workers demanding their rights to retirement benefits and medical care from the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS). This struggle arose after more than thirty years during which the property owners had deducted the required contributions from the workers but never paid them to the IGSS. The people arrested were all local workers who had been born and raised on the estate; therefore, their stay there was legitimate and did not constitute unlawful occupation. On the contrary, the Quintanal Campollo family had 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 due to 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

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