The Indigenous Lands Initiative is an ambitious project that aspires to eliminate one of the main causes of poverty, exclusion, and extreme inequity suffered by thousands of Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central and South America. This short video details our hard work in partnership with Aidesep Pueblos Indígenas and Coiab Amazonia. Portuguese, Spanish, and English subtitles are available online: https://bit.ly/4jyuYLD (fb)

In May 2023, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling in the case of the Maya Q'eqchi' Agua Caliente Indigenous Community v. Guatemala. Two years later, it still serves as a powerful reminder that Indigenous Peoples are entitled to a collective land ownership right to their lands. What are the details of the ruling? Among other actions, the Court ordered the Guatemalan government to ensure proper prior consultation, grant collective land titles to the Agua Caliente community, and eliminate policies that undermine the legal security of Indigenous territories. Additionally, the Court urged the State to adopt legislative measures to protect collective property and the right to prior consultation for all Indigenous peoples in Guatemala. What did this ruling accomplish? This decision represents a major step forward in defending the collective rights of Indigenous peoples across the Americas and sets an important precedent for recognizing Indigenous territories in Guatemala. Indian Law Resource's Involvement: The video, sourced from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, features several staff members from the Indian Law Resource Center and Rodrigo Tot, an Indigenous leader from Agua Caliente who played a key role in securing this important victory. The Center continues to provide support to the community to achieve implementation. https://youtu.be/O-1ZNlEXKBM?si=HWlY75gGL2EYAhaX (fb)