Mr. Quelvin Otoniel Jiménez Villalta:

I thank the committee. We definitely have clear examples of how these transnational corporations use intimidation against indigenous communities in Guatemala. There has been a particular legal case and a ruling in the constitutional court in Guatemala in favour of the communities but the company has intimidated local communities and also the government using ISDS as a threat. They are threatening that if the court ruling suspended mining operations, the company would then bring an ISDS case against the Guatemalan state. These companies also use the economic elites within Guatemala to pressure the state with destabilisation of the government, particularly during this initial presidential election period. What this reflects is that an international binding treaty could bring some degree of balance in these very unequal power relations between these corporations and communities on the ground.