In May 2013, the government of Guatemala declared a "state of siege", deploying 8,500 police and soldiers in the municipalities of San Rafael Las Flores (where Escobal is located) and the surrounding municipalities of Mataquescuintla, Casillas, and Jalapa, each of which voted against mining in community consulations (consultas). The state of siege followed the arrest of 26 peaceful protesters in April 2013. This conduct was criticized by the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights ("OHCHR"), which noted that environmental protests in Guatemala had triggered criminal proceedings against protesters, including charges of terrorism and criminal conspiracy, adding that the charges were disproportionate to the gravity of the alleged offences and were often dismissed in court due to a lack of evidence (JCAP, 2017).
Justice and Corporate Accountability Project (JCAP), "Request to Investigate Tahoe Resources for Failure to Disclose Material Information", filed with British Columbia Securities Commission, dated 8 May 2017, online: https://miningwatch.ca/sites/default/files/final_bcsc_disclosure_complaint_re_tahoe_-_may_15_2017.pdf, accessed on 14 August 2018
NISGUA, "Guatemalan government declares state of siege in municipalities surrounding Tahoe Escobal mine", dated 3 May 2013, online: https://nisgua.org/guatemalan-govt-declares-state-of-siege-in-municipalities-surrounding-tahoe-escobal-mine/, accessed on 21 August 2018