We are collecting money to support Leocadio Juracán Salomé to finance the costs associated with the legal process of his arrest for his work as an Indigenous land and human rights defender.

On August 13th, Leocadio Juracán Salomé, Agrarian Reform Coordinator of Comité Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA), was detained at La Aurora Airport just before travelling to Johannesburg to participate in the Transformations Community and Earth Systems Governance Conference 2025 (TC/ESG25) with his colleagues from the Translocal Learning Network, of which those of us who are organizing this fund are part.

His charges are damage to cultural and national patrimony, unlicensed possession of forest products for their commercialization, setting fire to protected forest areas, and aggravated usurpation — a charge commonly used to criminalize the advocacy of agrarian movement leaders. We believe that these charges are fabricated, as he is being charged for the very things that he fights against. He is charged with appropriating land, when in fact he is helping families to reclaim lands that were taken from them. He is being charged with setting forest fires, when in fact he is trying to prevent them through building resilient and sustainable communities. He is charged with damaging the cultural and national heritage of Guatemala, when in fact he fights to improve life for all Guatemalans. Therefore, we firmly believe that Leocadio’s detention is illegitimate and in fact part of a larger effort to criminalize his work as a land and human rights defender.

Three of the four charges against Leocadio have been dropped, with the exception of aggravated usurpation, which carries between 15 and 35 years in prison. Additionally, he now has to pay Q50,000 (a little over $9100CAD) to cover the justiciary costs of his arrest. CCDA has taken out a loan to cover these expenses, but they need help to pay for this loan.

Your support means a lot to Leocadio, his family, CCDA, and the Guatemalan people as a whole, who benefit from Leocadio's work. Please support Indigenous land and human rights defence work by supporting Leocadio!

Sus cargos son daño al patrimonio cultural y nacional, posesión sin licencia de productos forestales para su comercialización, incendio de áreas forestales protegidas y usurpación agravada, un cargo comúnmente utilizado para criminalizar la defensa de los líderes del movimiento agrario. Creemos que estos cargos son inventados, ya que a él se le acusa precisamente por las cosas contra las que lucha. Se le acusa de apropiarse de tierras, cuando en realidad está ayudando a familias a recuperar tierras que les fueron arrebatadas. Se le acusa de provocar incendios forestales, cuando en realidad está tratando de prevenirlos mediante la construcción de comunidades resilientes y sostenibles. Se le acusa de dañar el patrimonio cultural y nacional de Guatemala, cuando en realidad lucha por mejorar la vida de todos los guatemaltecos. Por lo tanto, creemos firmemente que la detención de Leocadio es ilegítima y de hecho es parte de un esfuerzo mayor para criminalizar su trabajo como defensor de la tierra y los derechos humanos.

Tres de los cuatro cargos contra Leocadio fueron retirados, a excepción del de usurpación agravada, que conlleva entre 15 y 35 años de prisión. Además, ahora tiene que pagar Q50.000 (un poco más de $9100 CAD). CCDA ha obtenido un préstamo para cubrir estos gastos, pero necesitan ayuda para pagarlo.

Su apoyo significa mucho para Leocadio, su familia, CCDA y el pueblo guatemalteco en su conjunto, quienes se benefician del trabajo de Leocadio.