Petition calling for an immediate investigation into the death of Rigoberto Lima Choc--Guatemala

Please sign our petition now calling for an immediate investigation into the death of Rigoberto Lima Choc. Fishermen make a grave for piles of fish that died due to exposure to pesticides in the Pasión River. Photo: El Informante Petenero On September 18, Rigoberto Lima Choc -- a 28-year-old schoolteacher and indigenous activist -- was shot outside of a local courthouse in Sayaxché by two men on a motorcycle. His murder occurred just one day after a court ordered African Palm Oil company REPSA to suspend its operations for six months in order to investigate the company's role in the contamination of the Pasión River. Lima had been one of the first to take videos and report the deaths of fish in the polluted water. On that same day, three human rights activists -- Lorenzo Pérez Mendoza, Hermelindo Asig Mó and Manuel Pérez Ordóñez -- were kidnapped by unknown assailants. They were held for almost 12 hours, threatened with being burned alive, and finally released the following day. During this time, local police did not respond to residents' calls for help; representatives from the Human Rights Ombudsman's office only responded directly several hour later, due to concerns about the personal safety of their staff. On September 28, Guatemala's public prosecutor's office conducted a raid of REPSA's facilities as part of an investigation into the cause of the mass die-off of fish in the Pasion River. The Guatemalan government must also respond quickly to guarantee the security of those defending human rights, land and the environment. With support from environmental organization Friends of the Earth, over 25,000 people have signed the petition. Please add your name now to support community demands for an immediate investigation into these violent incidents and the protection of activists involved in the case.  About the Ecocide Case: Reports estimate that tens of thousands of fish in the Pasión River have died, including at least 23 different species, affecting the economic livelihood of least 12,000 people from 17 communities. The ecological disaster has been referred to as "ecocide" by residents and other experts. The contamination appears to be directly linked to overflow from REPSA´s processing plant in April, and the company first quietly admitted responsibility before later denying involvement. At no point was the community warned of the spill, but it quickly became apparent that the water was poisoned. In June, Lima personally filed a complaint in Guatemala City and had spoken out publicly about the case.