Guatemala: An electrification project at Aldea Ixquiac (1999-2002)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Author Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada
Publication Date 16 July 2002
Citation / Document Symbol GTM39206.E
Reference 5
Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Guatemala: An electrification project at Aldea Ixquiac (1999-2002), 16 July 2002, GTM39206.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be39c.html [accessed 17 September 2023]
DisclaimerThis is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Ixquiac is one of 33 villages or hamlets (aldeas) of the rural municipality of Chiantla, in the department of Huehuetenango ( Interhuehue 2002; GRANESSA 13 Feb. 2002a). Ixquiac is also the name of an agricultural site (labor) in the municipality of Quezaltenango, department of Quezaltenango (ibid. 13 Feb. 2002b).

No references to electrification projects in the village or hamlet of Ixquiac could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, some references to electrification in areas of Huehuetenango covering Chiantla were found:

The National Electrification Institute (Instituto Nacional de Electrificación, INDE) indicates that one of its rural electrification projects covers the department of Totonicapan, the north of Solola, Chimaltenango, Quezaltenango and San Marcos departments, and the central and eastern regions of Huehuetenango (where the municipality of Chiantla is located) (INDE 31 July 2000).

Also in 2000, La Hora reported a sharp increase in complaints at the Huehuetenango office of the Distribuidora de Electricidad de Occidente, Sociedad Anónima (DEOCSA), the electricity distribution company covering this region (12 Dec. 2000). The report quotes some complainants from localities of Chiantla municipality other than Ixquiac, and in all cases cited, the complaint is about excessive or undue payment charges (ibid.).

In 2002 Radio Sonora reported a "massive demonstration" in front of the departmental government (gobernación departamental) in Huehuetenango by residents of Chiantla municipality, demanding that infrastructure works be completed (SAE 22 Jan. 2002). However, the report as published by the Guatemana Strategic Analysis Secretariat (Secretaría de Análisis Estratézigo, SAE) does not specify the nature of the infrastructure work whose completion was being demanded.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

GRANESSA. 13 February 2002a. Zonas de Guatemala. "Municipio Chiantla." [12 July 2002]

_____. 13 February 2002b. Zonas de Guatemala. "Municipio Quezaltenango." [12 July 2002]

La Hora [Guatemala City]. 21 December 2000. "Aumentan reclamos contra DEOCSA." [Accessed 15 July 2002]

Instituto Nacional de Electrificación (INDE), Guatemala City. 31 July 2000. "Localización de los proyectos de electrificación rural e índice de electrificación actual del departamento." [Accessed 15 July 2002]

Interhuehue, Huehuetenango. 2002. Los Municipios de Huehuetenango. "Chiantla." [Accessed 15 July 2002]

Secretaría de Análisis Estratégico de la Presidencia de la República (SAE), Guatemala City. 22 January 2002. Síntesis diaria de información integrada. [Accessed 15 July 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

Central America Report [Guatemala]. 1999-2002.

IRB Databases.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1999-2002.

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 1999-2002.

Prensa Libre [Guatemala]. Searchable archives.

REFWORLD.

Internet search engines and sites.

Note:

This list is not exhaustive. Country-specific publications available at the Resource Centre are not included.

Copyright notice: This document is published with the permission of the copyright holder and producer Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). The original version of this document may be found on the offical website of the IRB at http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/. Documents earlier than 2003 may be found only on Refworld.

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