When you live in Ireland, you can close your eyes to the real life cost of wealth, policy adviser with Trocaire Chris O’Connell said.
The Mayan people in Guatemala are fighting large companies for their ancestral land, a struggle they describe as a "fourth conquest" due to mining, palm oil, hydropower, and rare earth minerals. Private investors promise development and jobs in exchange for land, but Mayans face threats, imprisonment, and eviction. Despite this, they have legal documents they believe prove their land ownership and are campaigning for the companies to leave. They are concerned about the impact of mining and other industries on their food, water, health, and environment.
