Guatemala | Founded in 1978 | Thousand Currents Partner since 2024
Comité de Unidad Campesina de Guatelmala (CUC)
Advancing Peasant and Indigenous Rights, Access, and Economies
Founded in 1978, Comité de Unidad Campesina de Guatemala (CUC) has played a crucial role in the history of the Indigenous and peasant movements in Guatemala. They contributed with contextual analysis, political criteria and strategies for popular organization, integrating the peasant struggle with the debate on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. CUC is made up of communities, grassroots organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and impoverished ladinos or mestizos from 199 communities who face displacement and environmental damage caused by mining, dams, and agribusiness projects.
They use popular education, direct action, strategic litigation, and advocacy to protect peasants and Indigenous rights to land, territory, water, and food, and to promote Indigenous, peasant, and popular economies. Their work is divided in six areas:
- Fight for Land and Defense of Territory
- Indigenous and Peasant Economy
- Communications and Education
- Finance and Resources
- National and International Relationships and Alliances
- Organizational Strengthening
CUC’s work is based on the concrete needs and demands of the communities in defense of Mother Earth, Indigenous territories, and agrarian reform. They fight against the discrimination and oppression of women and promote the active participation of youth for equality, justice, and democracy drawn from the Buen Vivir perspective.