Guatemala City, by Brenda Larios -AGN- As part of the commemoration of 42 years of fight and resistance of the Comité Campesino del Altiplano -CCDA-, Vice President Karin Herrera participated in the Asamblea Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas y Campesinas (National Assembly of Indigenous and Farmers Women).
The participants welcomed Vice President Herrera, saying, “Women united will never be defeated,” and thanked her for participating in this event. Under the slogan Challenges and opportunities, women in family farming and demands, this group seeks to raise their voices for the welfare of their communities.
The vice president highlighted the efforts of this group of women and mentioned that there is much work to be done based on principles such as responsibility, honesty, transparency, and ethics. She also urged them to act, considering that what future generations will be able to do depends on these actions.
“Guatemala has everything to be better, and all of you are proof of that. You are here, women leaders who know what it means to fight and advance on the road to rights and well-being,” stated Vice President Herrera.
The vice president also called upon them to continue with this effort to protect their rights and to achieve better opportunities in education, health, and living conditions and urged them to participate constructively in community policy on behalf of their communities. Another of the issues addressed was the importance of strengthening food security actions and the commitment acquired by this administration to make progress in this area.
After the ceremony, the women awarded the vice president as a symbol of gratitude and support in this new phase as Vice President. This recognition consisted of a painting with the recognition written on textiles woven by the women and coffee harvested in the highlands.
The CCDA is an indigenous and farmer’s organization that seeks the integral human development of the rural population through the promotion of social, cultural, economic, and political actions that contribute to improving the living conditions of the members of their communities. Therefore, the organization seeks defense and access to land, decent work, and agrarian justice.
This committee was founded on March 2, 1982, in the Guatemalan highlands and is currently present in 20 departments, representing more than 100,000 families.
