Sandra Cuffe

The clouds of tear gas began to dissipate, and the crisp sounds of gunshots punctuating the chaos halted. Someone was lying in the middle of the road.

Rodrigo Tot and his Maya Q’eqchi’ community have been working to secure title to their land and protect it from mining interests. Mongabay contributor Sandra Cuffe reports on his work from the disputed lands in Guatemala.

The Guatemalan government declared a 30-day, nationwide state of emergency Tuesday to facilitate efforts to combat and control forest fires.

The Maya Biosphere Reserve is on fire. Government officials issued a red alert yesterday for the Peten department due to forest fires inside national parks.

A Guatemalan judge acquitted the former head of security of a mining project of homicide and assault charges related to attacks against Mayan community residents.

Conservation of Mirador-Rio Azul National Park and the ruins of ancient cities scattered throughout the area has been mired in controversy for more than a decade.

One of the best ways to protect the rainforest, it turns out, is to hand its management over to communities whose livelihoods depend on it.

The Maya Biosphere Reserve, a grand experiment in forest management, has its share of success stories, but faces threats from oil development and illegal settlers, as well as drug traffickers, cattle ranchers, and other armed groups.

After visiting the Maya Biosphere Reserve late last year, musicians from the multiple Grammy Award winning pop group recently penned an open letter to Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales supporting the renewal of community forest concession contracts.

Walter Manfredo Méndez Barrios was shot on March 16. Officials and activists close to him believe he was killed because of his community leadership and environmental activism by illegal land and resource theft groups operating in the region.

A palm oil company remains at the heart of conflict in northern Guatemala, months after a mass fish die-off.

Two years have passed since this region was crawling with soldiers and police officers during a state of siege, but locals organizing against the Escobal mine and other potential mining projects continue to live with the impacts of the government crackdown.