Teodora Chen – a Mayan Achi woman from the village of Rio Negro - was a surviving eye-witness of the “Xococ” (February 13, 1982) and “Los Encuentros” (May 14, 1982) massacres – two of four large-scale massacres of Rio Negro villagers in 1982.
From 1975-1985, the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) partnered with the U.S.-backed genocidal regimes of Generals Lucas Garcia and Rios Montt, to build the genocidal Chixoy Dam. To do so, they violently and illegally evicted over 30 Mayan villages along the Chixoy River.
So as to terrorize the other villages that had to be removed to make way for construction of hydro-electric dam project and flood basin, the World Bank, IDB and Guatemalan military regimes specifically targeted and repeatedly attacked the village of Rio Negro, raping and massacring over 440 villagers in 1981 and 1982.
Teodora Chen died today (December 20, 2020) at 2pm, in the city of Rabinal, Baja Verapaz. She was originally from the village of Rio Negro and a survivor of the February 13, 1982 massacre in the village of Xococ. She was a witness in the [on-going] CREOMPAZ, Military Zone 21 war crimes trial. She helped open the path for her community to justice and hope. She was the spokesperson of many more massacre survivors who continue today struggling for justice.
Today, we are deeply saddened by her death. We manifest our profound gratitude for her struggle. We honor her legacy and memory. We recognize that her perseverance in the struggle for justice sets an example that enables us to continue in the same struggle.
Expressing our condolences to her family and to the Rio Negro community, we say:
THANK-YOU GRANDMOTHER TEODORA CHEN
Your voice and truth will be justice
December 20, 2020
ADIVIMA
The CREOMPAZ war crimes trial: Mother Earth shows us the truth
Challenging global corruption and impunity, exploitation and repression
It is hard to over-state the enormity of the struggle for truth and justice that Teodora Chen has been leading for decades.
She – and other Rio Negro massacre survivors – are struggling against the corruption and impunity of the World Bank and IDB that, to this day, deny any responsibility for the massacres, rapes and wholescale destruction that their Chixoy Dam project caused. Both banks profited from their investments in the Chixoy Dam project.
She – and other Rio Negro massacre survivors – are struggling against the racism, exploitation and poverty, the State and private sector repression and violence, and the corruption and impunity of the ‘open-for-global-business’, military-backed Guatemalan government a “democratic allie” and partner of the U.S. and Canadian governments, and numerous global companies and investors.
ADIVIMA (Maya Achi Association for Integral Development of Victims of Violence, Las Verapaces) – founded and comprised by Maya Achi survivors of genocide - continues to lead work and struggle for a measure of justice and for proper reparations to be paid to the surviving Rio Negro community family members.
More information
Carlos Chen Osorio, co-founder and director ADIVIMA
chenosorio.carlos@gmail.com
Archives - Chixoy Dam/Rio Negro Massacres
Rights Action thanks ADIVIMA and echoes their words and sentiments about Teodora Chen. Starting in 1994, Rights Action has funded and been involved in work - led by ADIVIMA and Mayan Achi survivors of massacres and genocide - to hold the Guatemalan government, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank accountable for the massacres and killings and violent evictions, dispossession, poverty and despair caused by the 1975-1985 Chixoy dam hydro-electric dam project.
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The normalcy of “eternal emergencies” in Guatemala and Honduras
(Rights Action December 2020 newsletter)
