Ronald David Barilla, a member of the Xinka indigenous parliament and a well-known leader of the community, was killed on 9^th of January in Santa Rosa, Guatemala, by unknown people. Ronald’s work stressed the environmental impact of the sugar agroindustry. He had also on occasion worked with the Committee for the Defence of Nature (CODIDENA), which opposes the El Escobal mining project (San Rafael Mine, of Tahoe Resources), and had denounced the lack of free, prior and informed consultation with communities living near the mine. Amnesty International demands an urgent, independent and impartial investigation of the crime.

Tahoe Resources sent the statement below on Barillas’ death to Business & Human Rights Resource Center.