Renace a Bet for the Future by RENACE

RENACE “A BET FOR THE FUTURE” Answers to the discredit campaign promoted by stakeholders -Guatemala, october 2016-

Index Prologue 5 Introduction 7 Answers to falsehoods and inaccuracies of the misinformation campaign

17 Area: Human Rights

Lie:

Area: Human Rights

Lie:

Lie: Reality:

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Environment

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Financing 34

Reality:

Lie:

About the presentation:

Reality:

About the introduction:

Area: Access to water

About the justification:

About the purposes: About the methodology:

50 50

About the results:

Reality:

Area: Access to water

Reality:

Area: Employment 44 Lie:

Reality:

Area: Environment

Lie:

Reality:

Area: Environment

Lie:

Reality:

Area: Infrastructure

Reality:

Lie:

Reality:

Area: Human Rights

Area: Environment

Lie:

Reality:

Lie:

Reality:

Area: Electrification

Lie:

Reality:

Area: Consultation

Area: Human Rights

Reality:

Area: Environment

Lie: Reality:

Area: Legal Lie:

Reality:

Area: Legal

Area: Environment

Lie:

Reality:

Area: Human Rights

Area: Consultation

Reality:

Area: Human Rights

Lie:

Reality:

Reality: Lie:

Lie:

Area: Human Rights

Area: Environment

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Consultation 94

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Human Rights

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Financing

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Consultation 82

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Influences

Lie: Reality:

Area: Human Rights

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Human Rights

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Environment

Area: Human Rights

Reality:

Lie:

Reality:

Area: Human Rights Lie:

Reality:

Area: Projects of the Complex

Lie:

Reality:

Lie:

Area: Environment

Area: Growth of the Complex

Reality:

Conclusions 98 Renace in numbers Annexes

100

104

Prologue 4

he existing conditions in the country, both at national as territorial level, are evidently marked by the history of a State which has not been able to impulse, from its institutions, the correct actions which allow to solve, not only the conflicts between its inhabitants in a pacific form, -through efficient and sustainable mechanisms of dialogue and respect from the rule of law, which take into account geographic, ethnic and cultural elements-; but also, attending low indexes of social progress in the more isolated communities of our country. To an undeniable reality, different initiatives have emerged focused on generating conditions of sustainable development in these most vulnerable regions, and without a doubt, one of them has been the proposal that RENACE has promoted, a vision of integral projects, of complete respect to human rights of the communities and with complete attachment to the national and international laws in such matters, in a region that compromises more than 33 communities in the municipality of San Pedro Carcha and a part of the Cahabon River in Alta Verapaz. However, lately tendentious actions have emerged, argumentatively unserious and without any sustenance in technical reports, which have intended to be taken as â&#x20AC;&#x153;reports and investigationsâ&#x20AC;? by national NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

with foreign support and foreign NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, which have clearly shown the intention of generating misinformation, provocation, division and generation of territorial conflict; using the indigenous people and the communities, as their personal flag and moving away from truly structural and genuine causes, where should be their true focus. It is irresponsible and unjustifiable that the tendentious work made by these organizations, disfigures the reality harming us all, such as the communities that live in conditions of poverty, extreme poverty and exclusion; and that far from genuinely contributing in the search and construction of solutions and in the vigilance of the human rights of the indigenous people, they are focused on benefiting themselves, using lies and disqualification without responsibility or consequence. For more than twenty years, RENACE has assumed and promoted, as part of their corporate commitment, values as high as responsibility, excellence, integrity and respect; and which have allowed to generate a respectful, opportune and adequate communitarian relationship, and bet on the sustainable productive and social development of the region. This serious and consequent compromise has allowed to cover the obligations which belong to the State of Guatemala under its Constitution, such as the realization of the common good and the integral development of people; obligations which historically have not complied. All, based upon the complete respect to human rights of the populations and the law, which has propitiated a trusting, certain and transparent environment. Renace S.A. (RENACE) is an entity established at the beginning of the nineties with the purpose of developing energy projects with clean and renewable sources. Since then and in the last 25 years, a hydroelectric complex has been developed and built over the Cahabon River. For the year 2018 its capacity will be 305 megabytes, which will provide Guatemala with approximately 15% of the energy it consumes, with the lowest prices, thereby benefiting the majority of guatemalans.

The hydroelectric complex Renace is built following worldwide best practices in environmental, social and engineering matters; but must importantly; it has been developed benefiting all the communities in its area of influence. Creating local employment (15,000 people annually benefited), construction and maintenance of roads (93 kilometers of rural roads), schools (14 in different communities), providing water supplies (more than 2,500 in 13 communities) convergence centers (8 in different communities) implementation of seven social development projects (33 communities benefited to date) focused to eliminate malnutrition, improving elementary and high schooling, providing technical capacity to youngsters, beginning the digital education of the population, developing local leadership and creating conditions for the economic development through business entrepreneurship. For the respect which Renace has towards the opinion of all Guatemalans, hereby are the actions and measurable results of RENACE, the history it has forged together with thousands of guatemalans along so many years, with the only purpose of building a country more dignified, sustainable, integral and including future for all its inhabitants.

Introduction As indicated in the Preface hereinto, Renace is an entity established in San Pedro Carcha for more than 25 years, without there being any record of being any mayor conflicts with the communities in the area of influence. On the contrary, the relationship between entity, communities and local government has been of cooperation and the search for common good. Notwithstanding the above, since the month of February of this year several non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) have been dedicated to the task of discrediting Renace and have tried to shake the zone, with the only purpose to detain the development which Renace is providing in the region of Alta Verapaz. One of these NGO’s is the Spanish NGO Alianza por la Solidaridad (hereinafter “AXS1”), who presented at the City Hall of Madrid, alongside representatives of the guatemalan NGO Madre Selva, the report named, “La Hidroeléctrica que Destruye Derechos en Guatemala” – The Hydroelectric Destroying Rights in Guatemala- (hereinafter the “Report”). To this event, scarcely 12 people attended, such as is shown in photographs in the annexes section, demonstrating the low interest that this matter arose in Spain. However,

http://www.alianzaporlasolidaridad.org

from that date forward, AXS has dedicated to profusely spread in social media and in some digital means of communication as El Pais in Spain, in paid sections by them, contents of the Report and have begun a campaign to collect signatures through its WEB page with the purpose of discrediting Renace and ACS, this last one a Spanish entity owner of COBRA, the entity building the hydroelectric projects of Renace in Guatemala. Given that part of the material in the Report has been replicated and used by other NGO’s such as UVOC, UDEFEGUA, Madre Selva, Diakonia, OMAL, Amigos de la Tierra, Protection International, etc., and in digital means such as Centro de Medios Independientes – CMI - and Prensa Comunitaria with the same purpose, for the preparation of this document, Renace took the affirmations, tergiversations and manipulations presented in the Report as a starting point to provide the reality of the communities and the hydroelectric projects under attack. According to AXS it took them two years to prepare the Report which has 60 pages, the first 19 are dedicated to make an analysis of the hydric resource, electric energy and the human development indicators in Guatemala. The second dedicated to appoint Renace of violating rights of the indigenous people that inhabit the river bank of the Cahabon River, and as they indicate, are 29,000 affected people. In the first part of the document AXS skillfully tries to demonstrate that the Report is a “profound” study of the guatemalan reality and to justify, as it will be demonstrated after in more detail, that the private companies, but specially the hydroelectrics are the responsible parties for the situation of poverty, margination and violation of rights of the indigenous people in the rural area of the country. The second part AXS is dedicated to appoint Renace with a series of violations to human rights of the communities of the zone, being these accusations mainly: a) Renace violates the human right of access to water to the communities living in the river bank of Cahabon River, counting 29,000 affected people, b) Renace did not make a previous and informed consultation process before executing the hydroelectric projects, violating international laws subscribed by Guatemala, c) Renace is making grave environmental impacts in the area, as a result of implementing 2 Webpage https://cmiguate.org

Webpage https://comunitariapress.wordpress.com

different phases of the hydroelectric complex, d) Renace is accused of violations to human rights of several people, especially of alleged leaders opposed to the execution of hydroelectric projects. To answer these and other allegations coming from other NGO’s financed by international institutions, Renace has made a profound and detailed analysis of each asseveration and with the present document, it provides answers in writing to each one of them, so there will be no doubt of the transparency and responsibility with which Renace works and most of all to leave evidence of the falsehoods, imprecisions, misrepresentations, insinuations, manipulations and irresponsibility of such NGO, being their only interest to have a media role to continue receiving international financing. Before beginning to respond in detail the accusations made, it is important to review three important aspects of the Report: a) the nature of the document, b) the characterization of Alianza por la Solidaridad, c) the position of Renace regarding the Report.

1. The nature of the Report.

The Report has 60 pages and in the first part (19 pages) AXS tries to give the impression that it is a “serious investigation”. The bigger part of the information used in this section (access to water, situation of the hydric resource, electric energy, environment, human development indicators) are available publicly in internet sites of several institutions which easily can be consulted, thereto it does not provide any relevant unknown information, except for the fact that it tries to create a large context for the attacks made against Renace in the second part. What is obvious from these first pages, is the intention of AXS of establishing contrived nexus between the low indexes of social development in Guatemala, the barriers and marginations of the communities in the rural area; with the performance of the private sector and mainly of the hydroelectric power plants, making them look as the big responsible in the terms of human development and the violation of human rights in the country´s backwardness.

AXS argues that it took them two years to make the Report. This asseveration is doubtful since the alleged â&#x20AC;&#x153;journalistsâ&#x20AC;? who edited the Report show supine ignorance of the reality of the communities to which they make reference and mainly with the operation and reality of the Renace hydroelectric projects. The purpose of the Report, as it will be demonstrated along this document, is to make believe falsehoods or manipulated data as truths, with the purpose of discrediting Renace.

2. Regarding Alianza por la Solidaridad:

It is an NGO that began its operations in the year 2013 as a result of the merger of three preexistent NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. During the year 2014 they reported donations higher than 14 million Euros, of which almost 1 Million Euros were spent in activities in Guatemala, from which there are no details, it is unknown how such funds were spent and if they paid the corresponding taxes. What we mean to highlight here is the capacity of this NGO to lie, since in its Work Report of the year 2014 declare regarding their activities and accomplishments in Guatemala, the following: 1. Coordination spaces for civil society organizations, municipalities and Governmental institutions have been opened, for the presentation, negotiation and approval of proposals for gender transversality at a municipal level. In this line, a public policy of water and sanitation with the focus of gender was made which was approved, increasing thereto the participation of women in water management in a 45%. 2. Activities of training have been carried out in matters of human rights, political advocacy, and improvement in the attention in health services, citizen awareness and mobilization for the rights of women in three countries.

In Guatemala, it has been accomplished that the municipalities have Municipal Public Policy of Water and Sanitation with focus on Gender, designed in a participative form. On the other hand, communitarian women and men were trained in matters of: rational use of water, regulations of water, human right to water, reforestation, operation and maintenance of water systems and a plumbing diploma was allowed for 80 women. These declarations made by AXS, none the less than in their Work Report of 2014, are an insult to the intelligence of all Guatemalans and their donors, since it is of general knowledge that Guatemala has no public policies of Water and Sanitation, and less in all in the municipalities of the country. AXS pretends to claim the approval of municipal public policies of Water and Sanitation which, with all certainty are false, and their inexistence can be easily proved.

3. The Position of Renace regarding the Report. Thereto a summary of the response of Renace to the misrepresentations made by AXS is made and whose details will be developed throughout this document granting the necessary evidences:

a. It is FALSE that Renace violates the human right of access to

water of the Communities. AXS shows their complete ignorance of the situation in which the communities live. There are no communities settled in the river banks, since it is a ravine, the 33 communities in the area of influence of Renace live in plains in the higher part of the mountains and keep a difference of height between 200 and 300 meters over the river level, therefore â&#x20AC;&#x153;going down to the riverâ&#x20AC;? is naturally very difficult and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faraway, therefore, they do not make use of the river as their main source of water. Additionally, the location of the Renace hydroelectric projects does not hamper the access to the river. Any person can access

without going through any premises of the hydroelectric as it can easily be proven by visiting the place. AXS maliciously quantifies 29,000 people affected by Renace without presenting a location map of the communities to demonstrate the violation in reference, nor does it explain exactly how the violation is perpetrated.

The Cahabon River as the majority of rivers in Guatemala, is sadly contaminated from the discharge of solid waste and water serving from 18 communities found upstream from the point where Renace is placed, therefore the water is unfit for human consumption and therefore the majority of communities use the water from a source water bed or from rain collection as their main provision of water for domestic use. AXS names Renace as responsible for solving the problem of provision of potable water and therefore accuses it of violating the human right of access to water, which is unheard of, since it is the responsibility of the local or national government; notwithstanding the above, Renace supports and provides resources for the solution of such issues, from the purchase of water distribution systems, recollection systems, storage and distribution. Another irresponsible accusation made by AXS and Madre Selva, is that Renace is drying the Cahabon River and therefore taking the vital liquid from the communities. In this sense, facts speak for themselves. Recently the “Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales” (MARN) with the support of “INSIVUMEH” performed a measurement of the ecological flow in the river at the height of the dam of the project Renace I, having found a 260% of the minimum flow which by law Renace is compelled to leave. On the other hand, it is absurd and for any person living in the river bank, downstream, this accusation should be surprising, since Cahabon river has not stopped flowing, even during the 25 years since Renace has been in the zone. Because it is a karstic geology, the river throughout its course is nourished meter by meter by the surface

and underground contributions that reach it by filtration of more than 2,600 square kilometers in drained area. Therefore it is FALSE that the river is “drying” or “monopolized”. During all the months of the year the river has sufficient water and during the dry season (months of March to April) sufficient flow is left to guarantee the maintenance of the diversity, as easily may be checked through a visit to the hydroelectric. RENACE IS NOT DRYING THE CAHABON RIVER.

b. Regarding the previous and informed consultation pro-

cess. It is hereby clarified that Renace has had the corresponding authorizations on behalf of the “Ministerio de Energía y Minas” from the years 1991 and 1994, several years before the ratification of the Convention 169 from ILO on behalf of the guatemalan government in the year 1997, therefore legally it is not applicable to have a consultation process as invoked by AXS. Notwithstanding the above, Renace since the beginning of its activities 25 years ago, has implemented robust socialization processes that go beyond the spirit of Convention 169, since it has not only previously informed the communities of its projects, but it has also obtained the consent and acceptance to all of them, reaching agreements regarding the implementation of long term projects of sustainable social development which will provide better opportunities for the future. Again AXS manipulates the information and pretends to demonstrate that there is conflict and opposition to Renace in the zone. Pursuant to a perception study made recently by ADOC, an NGO dedicated to making studies of social indicators, within the communities in the zone of influence of Renace, it was evidenced that 88% of the population accepts Renace as its ally. Concluding, it is easier to verify the acceptance of Renace in the zone, making a visit and evidencing that there is no “organized” and

growing opposition between the communities for the supposed lack of consultancy on behalf of Renace. THE MODEL OF SOCIALIZATION IMPLEMENTED BY RENACE IS BEYOND THE SPIRIT OF THE CONVENTION 169 OF ILO.

c. Renace is NOT causing harmful environmental impacts in the

zone. This arguments are easy to verify, since the stretch of river, 21 kilometers, where the Renace hydroelectric projects operate, is one of the best preserved of Cahabon River, reality which may be evidenced easily through a visit to the field. On the contrary, the quality of the water, flora and fauna is constantly monitored and the results are periodically reported to MARN. Additionally with the implementation of environmental transcendence projects, Renace seeks the restauration of ecosystems of the area and with that provides additional benefits to the communities, such as the case of the reserve of Renace where the biological laboratory will be installed dedicated to the protection and conservation of the Quetzal. Additionally it must be mentioned that MARN has recently made environmental audits of several projects of Renace, having reported â&#x20AC;&#x153;zero findingsâ&#x20AC;?, which shows the strict environmental compliance and good practices in environmental matters. THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTION OF RENACE IS OF LONG TERM AND WITH THE PURPOSE OF RESTORING THE ESENTIAL CONDITIONS OF THE WATERSHED OF CAHABON RIVER.

d. Renace does NOT violate human rights of any person, it works with

well-defined principles and values summarizing the acronym REIR (Responsibility, Excellence, Integrity and Respect). All remarks made by AXS are based on rumors, comments, mounted testimonies and manipulated data. The truth is that AXS was not capable of presenting one sole document supporting the remarks of violation of human rights against the alleged leaders who are opposed to the projects. The accusations are serious, but as the tone has been throughout the

Report, AXS irresponsibly does not grant any evidence. On the contrary, Renace with its CSR policy, not only applies the best practices of communitarian relationship, makes social investments in benefit of the communities, but also is implementing since several years back, social development projects at long term, seeking an integral human development of its inhabitants. Renace works strongly and responsibly to promote conditions for the economic development of the municipality of San Pedro Carcha, which includes the creation of formal employment, road construction, implementing entrepreneurship programs for youngsters and women. The recent measure of the Social Progress Index (SPI) in the zone, shows that the communities from Renace show a higher index than the rest of the communities in the municipality and in the district, this due mainly to the presence of Renace. RENACE IS A PROMOTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, OF GENDER EQUALITY AND OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE IT OPERATES. Following we present in detail the documented answer of each one of the attacks presented in the Report and other lies which have been poured at workshops, forums and social media on behalf of the interested NGO to harm the reputation of Renace and the communities of their zone of influence. 15

Answers

to falsehoods and inaccuracies of the misinformation campaign

uring this misinformation campaign which has lasted several months, non-governmental organizations, both local, foreign and individuals, have remarked through declarations and documents provided to the public or through social media, a series of falsehoods, inaccuracies or incoherencies regarding the performance of Renace in the area where Renace hydroelectric projects are built, therefore and in response to said remarks, especially the ones provided by Alianza por la Solidaridad in its Report, hereby Renace exposes the facts and presents the evidences of the case.

Area: Human Rights

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

he five different stages of the hydroelectric complex, named as Renace and situated in the watershed of Cahabon River (in the district of Alta Verapaz in Guatemala) are having an impact in the human rights of the indigenous communities in the territory, and in the environment which is in contraposition to the images of social and environmental sustainability which the indicated companies both national and foreign, more concretely from Spain, transmit through communication media in this country in Central America. In total, it is estimated that 30 km of the Cahabon flow is affected and with it a population of 29,000 quekchĂ indigenousâ&#x20AC;?.

Reality:

on the contrary, the impact which Renace has in the zone is very positive in all its senses, including the protection and promotion of human rights. Renace is implementing seven long term programs of social development, all promote gender equality and two specifically, the capacity of leaders and strengthening the communitarian organization, the rest seeks the integral development of people and therefore are structured to support in the different stages of human development. Additionally Renace promotes the creation of conditions to activate local economy through productive programs and venture, construction of communitarian infrastructure (schools, convergence centers, institutes for technical training, etc.) construction and maintenance of roads, generation of formal employment and support to the development of communities from San Pedro Carcha, etc.).

MEASURING SOCIAL IMPACT

Control Community

Renace’s Communities

Chronic malnutrition

42%

28%

14%

Acute Malnutrition

1.4%

1.3%

0.1%

School Re-enrollment

-12.2%

Variation

+3.4% 15%

Teenage Pregnancy

35%

24%

11%

Acceptance Renace

---

88%

---

87%

97%

10%

Representative Leaders

During the year 2015 the “Instituto de Progreso Social”, an independent guatemalan entity endorsed by the Social Progress Imperative born in Harvard University and MIT, made the first measurement of the Social Progress Index at a communitarian level in Latin America, in the communities under the influence of Renace. The result indicates clearly that the level of social progress and wellness in the communities under the influence of Renace is higher than the communities surrounding where Renace has no presence.

Additionally Renace has constant measurements of the impact of its social projects in the zone of influence. The last measurement made by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instituto de Progreso Social in Guatemalaâ&#x20AC;?, is from 2015 and it shows the most important social indicators where the zone of Renace has improved considerably regarding the rest of the municipality, such as: decreasing acute and chronic malnutrition, increase of the permanence and school promotion, reduction of the level of pregnancies in teens (among other things). The social strategy of Renace is an integral and long term process, which goes beyond giving answer to a bad intentional report prepared by a foreign NGO, and whose summary named 4 Model of Community Relationships Renace can be accessed in the section of annexes(See Annex 1). Therefore Renace is a positive actor for the protection and respect of human rights of the communities where it operates, supporting the execution of projects oriented to solve their own basic needs, works to increase their level of social wellness and provides access to new development opportunities for the communities, who would not have them any other way. Alianza por la Solidaridad, for example, has presented a tendentious report, with important imprecisions, for example and regarding the analyzed paragraph in this section which was extracted from said Report, it mentions that 30 kilometers from the flow of Cahabon River are affected. In this sense, it can be verified through a Google Earth map that the section from the river where the Renace projects are built has 21 kilometers and also confirm that there is no negative environmental impact as it is intended to imply, since the zone is one of the best preserved zones in all the watershed in Cahabon River, besides there are no communities living in the river banks which could be negatively impacted for the existence of the hydroelectric projects. 4

A reduced version in the Annex section

Extension of 21 km, Renace Hydroelectric Project

Area: Consultation

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

heinvestigations reflect big vulnerabilities of environmental impacts and rights, increase of unrest in the interior of the communities, claims, criminalization of opponents to the project. It has been proven that the previous and informed consultation to the indigenous communities affected by the project was not realized, such as international law obliges to do, laws which are subscribed by this country; that there has been complaints for bad practices; and that it is in discussion the contributions of the hydroelectric to the development of the local population, such as it was announced for the startup of Renaceâ&#x20AC;?.

Reality:

his paragraph shows again the vague and irresponsible manner that certain publications used to imply Renace in violations of human rights or environmental damage, without presenting even one documented complaint and even less a conviction towards

Renace. In the second part of the paragraph it is mentioned, the lack of a previous and informed consultation to the indigenous communities on behalf of Renace, hinting to the Consultation of Tribal and Indigenous People according to the Convention 169 from ILO. To respond to this remark, it is important to review the documents of authorization for the use of the Cahabon River (Authorization for the 5 use of Public Domain Property ) through which the Renace projects were authorized. These authorizations were granted by the State of Guatemala through the “Ministerio de Energía y Minas” in the years 1991 (Renace I, II y III and V) and 1994 for Renace IV 6. Since these are authorizations previous to the ratification on behalf of the State of Guatemala of the Convention 169 of ILO in the year 1997, performing a previous and informed consultation pursuant to such Convention is not applicable to the case of Renace. Notwithstanding the above, Renace since the beginning has made socialization

processes which include not only transferring opportune information about the positive and negative impacts of the projects, to all communities close to it, but it has reached agreements regarding the benefits that said communities will receive on behalf of Renace by executing them. The success of the process of socialization has been that it is an inclusive process, of permanent dialogue, which currently persists, culturally pertinent, which has allowed to reach agreements in general communitarian meetings and with priority in the execution of social projects to attend immediately needs and the implementation of long term social projects. Therefore, the question is what proofs do the detractors provide to demonstrate their claims of bad practices? What competent authority has issued a statement about it implying Renace? What environmental impacts have proofs that are caused by Renace? The claim without proofs and the discredit without evidences is what prevails in the Report.

Authorization of the Use of Cahabon River: PROJECT

PUBLIC DEED

Renace 1

Renace 2, Fase I y II

Renace 4

CONTENT

Agreement for the Definite Authorization for the Use of Public Property for the Installation of a Hydroelectric Plant.

Area: Electrification

Lie:

E “

ven though at that moment, it was said that with privatization the energy would be cheaper for the population, the truth is that it is not, and the claims of the users have increased upon the high rates and the bad service”.

Reality:

t is easier to demonstrate that the prices of electric energy in Guatemala have dramatically decreased, only in the last 4 7 years more than 46% of the rate for the regulated user . 70% of said saving is due to the construction of private hydroelectric, which will grant for the year 2016, 50% of the energy which is consumed in the country. Renace actively participated in the processes of public 8 9 tenders named PEG2 and PEG3 directed by the distributors EEGSA and ENERGUATE and supervised by the “Comisión Nacional de la Energía Eléctrica” (CNEE), having offered the lowest rates compared to other competitors, therefore their contribution to the reduction of the electric rate and to the country´s competitivety is of the most important between the generators of electricity. 6

http://www.mem.gob.gt/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1._-Listado-de-Hidroel%C3%A9ctricas-Mayores-a-5-MW.pdf 7 En: http://www.mem.gob.gt/2015/04/tarifas-electricas-bajan-entre-08-a-17-2/ 8 http://www.cnee.gob.gt/PEG/PEG2-2012.html 9 http://www.cnee.gob.gt/PEG/Docs/BoletinPEG3-2013Final.pdf

Bunker Hydraulic Natural Gas Solar Aeolian

CNEE

Area: Human Rights

Lie:

“

egarding the announcements of the Environmental Study (-EIA- for its acronym in Spanish). Something that MARN has disclosed through advertisements in a national paper and on the other hand, they are not published in indigenous language”

Reality:

ccording to the Governmental Agreement 60-2015 (Article 31) the edict must be published in Spanish and in the language prevailing in the area where the project, work, activity and/ or industry is located. Renace publishes its projects in Spanish and in Q’eqchí’. See Annex 2 Furthermore of the publications being in the corresponding indigenous language, it is also important to highlight the results from the environ-

mental audit made recently to Renace by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ministerio de Ambiente 10 y Recursos Naturalesâ&#x20AC;? (MARN). See Annex 3 . Said audits show the existence of practically zero findings, which shows the environmental responsibility of the entity regarding the compliance of its legal obligations, and the good environmental practices it has implemented in the phase of construction and operation of the projects. Additionally, Renace in its sustainable development programs, has included a transversal axis of environmental education and care of the environment as basis for sustainable development.

See the environmental auditing minutes in the section of the annexes

Area: Human Rights

Lie:

C “

atalán indicates that in zones where environmental conflicts emerge usually there is presence of the army, which intimidates the civil population”.

“Neighbors of the zone remember that with the arrival of Renace to the zone the presence of military forces was reinforced, which had never disappeared completely, a situation which some neighbors and members of the NGO UDEFEGUA qualify as “intimidation” towards the communities, in the sense that the army tried to avoid conflicts which could emerge for the appropriation of the Cahabon”.

Reality:

n the zone of Renace, the State has no presence at all, neither of its principal offices has any installation or representation (health, education, environment, justice, etc.) there is no presence of security forces. This is easier to verify by visiting the zone. The closest military base to the area of Renace is the 6th Brigade of Infantry, in Playa Grande, 3 hours driving in vehicle from Renace. What intimidation

could the people receive? Which is the military presence they mention? Besides, in such paragraph it is irresponsibly mentioned as “the appropriation of Cahabon”. Hydroelectric power plants do not consume water, they only use their force, and therefore there is no “hoarding” since the water is returned to the river in a 100% and cleaner, providing an additional environmental benefit. It is evident that this matter in the Report is intended for the lector to believe that hydroelectric “steal” water, which is a complete lie.

Area: Human Rights

Lie: “

n the case of Renace, sources of Cobra that prefer to maintain anonymity, noted that they do not make any CSR in the zone because they are “merely builders” of the work hired by CMI”

Reality:

he main responsibility of the relationship between the communities and the rest of stakeholders is of Renace, since it is the owner of the projects, it is not something to be delegated, and therefore it is Renace the responsible party for the socialization processes and implementation of a policy of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). Notwithstanding all contractors are obliged to comply with a series of requirements and demands in social, environmental and occupational security areas, which are completely alienated 11 with the best practices at international level in this matters .

11 Where it literally reads in the clauses of the EPC agreements with the Contractor Cobra, it is contemplated: “a) The respect to the laws which protect the environment and natural resources, taking as basis the content of each one of the resolutions issued by the “Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales” at the moment of approving the Environmental Impact Studies of each one of the projects and, b) abide with all the rules referent to the matter of human rights, mainly of the neighbors of the areas where the Contractor develops its activities, this declaration is extensive to all the activities generated during the constructive process, where it is always present the respect and submission to the valid laws in Guatemala. “ See Annex 14

Area: Environment

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

t is important to mention that the fragmentation of the hydroelectric projects in stages has many advantages in their financing and processing for the entities, but they have a perverse effect: it dilutes the perception of the impacts they generate and therefore, the social and environmental responsibilitiesâ&#x20AC;?

Reality:

y being independent projects (3 in cascade and 2 independent), Renace presented the Environmental Impact Studies (EIA) according to guatemalan law (each one separately). This fact does not have a financial benefit, nor in procedure of licenses for Renace; on the contrary, it increases the time of authorization and preciseness with which each one is evaluated. The EIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Renace Projects not only comply with local legislation but also with the Standards of the World Bank and the Equator Principles.

Alianza por la Solidaridad maliciously mentions the absence of studies of accumulative impacts for the Renace Project holding Renace responsible for presenting the studies in a separate form, ignoring on purpose what is established in guatemalan law. In any case, the studies of accumulative impact are a prerogative of MARN who can implement them at any moment and which are mainly to propose policies of regional development and for the Renace projects, it does not apply.

Area: Financing

Lie: “ 34

t is unknown where the amount of millions has come from, if sources from “El Observador” appoint that there could be syndicated loans of several banks of the country, but this information has not been known under the mysterious veil surrounding the project”

Reality:

s it is normal with the majority of this type of projects, Renace has a financing provided by national and international banks, which have gone through due diligence, social, environmental procedures, which are strictly demandable previously to grant the financing.

Area: Access to water

Lie:

A “

s in the first stage, it is placed in a section of the Cahabon, and in its margins there are 20 rural communities between both banks, with a joint population of 29,000 people which are not allowed with access to water.”

Reality:

ith the purpose of contextualize and explain the situation of the communities in the zone and respond appropriately to the accusations made in the report against Renace, regarding that access is closed to the use of the water 12 from the river to the communities , easily and through Google Earth (for those who do not have the opportunity to visit the zone) the difference of height between the level of the riverbed and the mountains area where the communities are located is between 200 and 300 meters and can be verified, the river flows by a deep canon, with steep slopes, so for a person to go down to the river means escalating a 20 floor building, which is almost impossible.

Bancab, Sacsi Chitaña, Sacsi Chiyo, Santa Maria Julha, Santo Domingo Raxnam, Chiguarrom, Chiyo, San Lorenzo Sepoc, Xalitzul, San Luis Tontem, Chirrequim, Santiago Chirrequim, Chisap, Chiquis, Sequin, Chamtaca 1, Chamtaca 2, Chipoip, Kakchetul, Sacrab, Sejalal, Chiacam, Chimuy, Chicuis, San Jorge, Sequixche, Oqueba Xicacao, Xicacao, Rubelcruz, Purulha Xicacao, Pansamala, Sesalché II, Petche II, Secoyou Tamajul, Chintuil, Chames

In the rainy season the river grows with currents of 100 m3/seconds or more. The currents fill what they call as flat channel (the level of the river grows 2-3 meters with the currents); if someone made a construction to the riverbank, in this section, the river would destroy the construction. The people of the place have great knowledge of this phenomenon.

They know that when the river â&#x20AC;&#x153;is wildâ&#x20AC;?, they should not be at the bottom of the canon. For such reason, there are no human settlements at the riverbank on that section. If you go downstream, dozens of kilometers downstream- there are human settlements on the riverbank. There, the topography of the land is different. The river is slower and it has not excavated a deep canon which could easily flood each year. These publications pretend for the reader to have the idea that, to 29,000 people living at the riverbank, their primary means of livelihood are been taken away. The photography taken by Google Earth (which can be veri-

Picture from Google Earth

fied by the reader) shows with clarity that in the route of the Renace projects there are no households and least of all, capable of hosting 29,000 people. What is verifiable is that in such stretch of the river nobody lives, and no one has lived there since anybody can remember. The reason, as it has been insisted and can be seen in the graphics, is that the riverbed in such stretch, that it is not adequate for construction of human settlements in the riverbed. It is of interest to highlight, in lieu of the frequent tendentious publications mentioned â&#x20AC;&#x153;the veto right to waterâ&#x20AC;? of the communities, the following. 13 The average annual pluvial precipitation in this zones is higher than 2.22 meters . It rains with different intensity during the majority of the year, reality which is not mentioned in the document, even though its great importance. The reason that the Ulpan Mountain, situated at the right side of the Cahabon River, continues as a geological unit with a lower altitude onwards, until getting closer to the Atlantic Ocean. The mountains forming Belize come to end (geographically) close and form a natural air entrance. The trade winds, induced by the rotation of the earth go through the Atlantic Ocean at the level of the sea surface, accepting the vapor of water produced by the ocean, the sunlight and waves. A part of the trade winds, is cased between the Mountains of the Greater Antilles and the mountains forming the coast of Honduras. The mountains have some passageways where the air circulates pushed by the trade winds. One of these passages is the hollow where the Cahabon River flows, from a level a little higher than 1.300 meters until sea level. As the warm and humidity saturated air travels through the Atlantic goes up by the hollow where the Cahabon flows, it elevates almost two kilometers in height coming to a place where the density of the air is lower and where the temperature of the environment is noticeably less than the thirty something grades of the tropical coast. Here, the natural laws of condensation, make water condense and produce quite an amount of rain, except for the zone which has been affected by the phenomenon of El NiĂąo with effects of great drought, as in the last two years.

It can be verified at: http://es.climate-data.org/location/53835/

Picture from Google Earth

The mentioned document, escalates the number of people at 29,000. That number is repeated several times. What is not said in such document is exactly where those people are located. As can be proven by anyone who wishes to, at the riverbank, in no way possible can you find 29,000 people. In fact, you cannot even find one sole household. Do these publications make reference to people living in the plateau 100, 200 or 300 meters, higher than river level? If so, until what distance to each side of the river are they including the counting to reach 29,000 wishing to underline the no access to the river water? Such an absurdity and manipulation of the situation, as it is easily understandable.

Area: Access to water

Lie:

S â&#x20AC;&#x153;

ince 80% of the project is underground, the co-president of CMI, Juan Luis Bosch, has argued that it does not impact the basin landscape. However that is not how it is: the water from Cahabon disappears practically from the riverbed in the dry season to be directed through tunnels and channels. On the other hand, it should be remembered that the same water coming from Renace I is being usedâ&#x20AC;?

Reality:

ot even at the time of drought, the driest one of the year from March to April, the river disappears. By law the ecological flow must be maintained, which is the minimum flow to ensure the environmental conditions of the zone, which can be easily proven. After 12 years of operation of the Renace I central, the zone is preserved and the flora and fauna are maintained without affectation. The ecological flow is the flow leaving the derivation dam and which is only relevant for the low water level season, since during the rainy season there is always water in the river. Starting from the dam, the ecological flow increases meter by meter with all the superficial and underground contributions which the basin contributes and since it is a Karstic zone,

said contributions are important. Therefore, it is not true that the river is left dry, there is always enough water in the riverbed. In fact, in the month of June of this year, before the rainy season began, INSIVUMEH the national entity responsible of monitoring the rivers in Guatemala, performed a measurement of the ecological flow in the dam of Renace I evidencing that it was a 260% of the flow over the law requirements.

Renace II and III use the same flow than Renace I, since they are cascaded plants, which makes all the system more efficient and decreases the environmental impact. This last one comes also from confirming the inexistence of accumulative environmental effects for the existence of hydroelectric power plants placed in the zone.

Area: Infrastructure

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

he road of access, ending at the place of the Hydroelectric and which was in a bad state before its arrival, has had to be fixed to give way to trucks and machineryâ&#x20AC;?

Reality:

t is obvious that during the years that some detractors indicate took them to prepare the investigation, they did not make any of the basic inquiries and evidently they do not know the reality of the zone by their own experience. When Renace came to the zone there were no rural roads, the first road built by Renace was 20 years ago and from that date on, Renace has built and maintained 93 kilometers of roads for the use of the communities and the projects, now several type of vehicles can enter, making more accessible the town and bringing development for all, allowing crops to be transported expediently and avoiding people from dying when they have a medical emergency, besides the obvious improvement to the municipalityÂ´s competitivety, since infrastructure implies development. Before, access was only available by foot or on animals. Who, but Renace has improved the infrastructure of the zone?

Area: Environment

Lie:

â&#x20AC;&#x153; 42

t is a work that is made eight kilometers of distance from the National Monument Semuc Champey, just in the riverbed of the Cahabon River and affecting both the river as its affluent Canlich Riverâ&#x20AC;?.

Reality:

enace, in a straight line, it is at 13 kilometers from the National Park and at 14 downstream following the river. The comment made in the Report seeks to make believe the reader that Renace is affecting the National Park Semuc Champey. Nothing is further from the truth. The waters of the Cahabon River do not have a direct relationship with the pools of Semuc Champey which are nourished by the underground flowing falling from the surrounding mountains through gravity, the Cahabon River passes laterally to those pools and then it submerges in the underground passage to exit a few meters abroad. This information is one hundred percent verifiable through Google maps and through thousands of pictures taken by tourists visiting constantly Semuc Champey, where it can be easily appreciated the magnificent which the place continues being, even though the destruction it has suffered recently by the invasion of supposed communitarian leaders.

Contrary to the remarks made by some, Renace cleans the river of all solid waste coming to their installations, product of the contamination generated by populations, upstream. In 2015, 10 tons of waste were collected and sent to recycle or final disposition according to best environmental practices and the problem only gets worse each year. From this situation the nonconformists of course, do not mention anything. Therefore it is false that Renace is affecting the National Park Semuc Champey.

Area: Employment

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

hat if, in the first part of the document it is mentioned that 150 employments will be created during constructionâ&#x20AC;?

Reality:

uring the phase of construction until this date, Renace has generated more than 15,000 formal employments, revolving on the zone, which are duly documented with payment receipts of each person in the communities. Therefore reducing it to 150 is a jest and bad intention trying to minimize te positive effect which Renace has had in the local and regional economy.

Area: Environment

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

n added problem in the territory of Renace is the change of primary forests for pines plantations: the State encourages the aid for the plantations of forest monoculture of this type, which is affecting biodiversityâ&#x20AC;?

Reality:

eforestation is a problem at national level, it is mainly due to the growing agriculture, forest fires, etc. According to the Environmental Profile in Guatemala, the rate of deforestation is approximately of 3.4% equivalent to 132,138 trees/year. The zone where the projects Renace are built are intervened zones, mostly with coffee plantations and for cultivation of corn and cardamom. Renace has not had an impact in the primary forests as it can be evidenced in the EIAs of each one of the projects. As it has been mentioned, more than 65% of the work built is underground, therefore the impact to the flora is minimum, in fact the biggest visual impacts are the construction of roads.

Forest incentives have been a booster for the communities which have found a mechanism to aid in reforestation, but also to protect and take care of resources. Between the mechanisms created an example would be: PINPEP, with the purpose of benefiting people and communities of scares resources (INAB 2010, November 18).

14 Renace has begun a program of Environmental Restoration seeking to restore the damaged ecosystems for different activities as much possible to their original states. Additionally the protection of the ecosystem is one of the tasks which Renace makes permanently through different actions, such as the declaration of the National Reserve Renace, a zone of 46 hectares where the research station for the study, protection and reproduction of the National Bird of Guatemala, the Quetzal and its habitat.

Environmental or ecological restoration consists of a process of assistance for the recovery of the ecosystems which have been disturbed or degraded, where it consists not only in recovering the forest coverage, but also reestablishing the bioethics interactions (such as pollination) occurring in them and which are essential for the viability of the ecosystems.

Area: Environment

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

he study made by Madre Selva identifies a total area of 663 vegetable species and highlights the presence of emblematic species such as the jaguar (Panthera onca), cougar (Puma concolor) the black howler (Allouatta pigra) and the tapir (Tapirus bairdii).â&#x20AC;?

Reality:

rom the mentioned study it can be said the following:

The richness of the existing species in the zone are unknown since there are no trustworthy inventories with the exception of the site of Lachua. 15 It is important to mention that Lachua is a site RAMSAR which has approximately 100 square meters of forest where there are jaguars, tapirs and monkeys; the conditions given in the area of Renace are di-

It refers to the Convention of RAMSAR. At: http://www.ramsar.org/es/acerca-de/la-convenci%C3%B3n-de-ramsar-y-su-misi%C3%B3n

fferent due to, between other rea- Madre Selva to attack the installasons, higher altitude. tion of mining entities in the zone of The study includes other matters Santa Maria Cahabon which are far away from the area of Renace. which are worth mentioning:

About the presentation:

About the Introduction:

The studies from which the list of flora and fauna are made, are studies that took place in the district of Alta Verapaz, and not in the area of influence of the hydroelectric projects of Renace, thereto they cannot be extrapolated irresponsible as the report from Alianza por la Solidaridad does. The study Even though until now the majori- also indicates that a big part of the ty of loss of vegetable coverage of documental information was exCahabon is due to the conversion of trapolated from the ecoregion of natural forests to spaces for living Lachua. However, the conditions and agricultural fields dedicated to of the state of the habitat and its sowing of different crops, the ina- topography are very different. dequate execution of this type of development projects would bring The above can be observed from of Google Earth foan even greater fragmentation and the images 16 . llowing modification of the habitat.â&#x20AC;? The previous paragraph indicates In both photos can be appreciated that the biggest loss of coverage is the radical differences between due to the conversion of natural fo- the habitat of one site and the rests to spaces for living and agri- other. In the ecoregion of Lachua, the lagoon cultural fields, which is a generali- the forest surrounding 2 zed patters in the area. It is evident has almost 100 Kms of extension, It is said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The municipality of Santa Maria Cahabon is one the sites of the district of Alta Verapaz where transnational entities have been interested in operating, and where the government of Guatemala has granted several exploitation and exploration mining licenses.

that said study was prepared by

Satellite picture of Santa Maria Cahabon in eyeshot of 11.40 km

Satellite picture of the ecoregion of Lachua in eyeshot of 16.86 km

while in Santa Maria Cahabon a fragmented landscape can be appreciated where the matrix is mainly formed of agricultural fields. In these areas the probability of finding jaguars (Pantera onca), tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) and black howlers (Allouatta pigra) are remote, the same happens in the area where the hydroelectric projects Renace are.

Picture from Google Earth (Cahabon)

Picture from Google Earth (Lachua)

About the Justification: The study is designed to provide recommendations of mining activities opencast, and not on the installation of the hydroelectric in Santa Maria Cahabon.

About the purposes: The study is focused in activities of exploration of mines and data survey made only of birds and bats, through other monitoring in the field, no other kind of species of flora or fauna were confirmed.

About the methodology: The document indicates that the inventories of other taxonomic groups were obtained from a list of grey literature. This means, that even though it may have validity for the areas where they were made, they are not part of the scientific expertise. This clearly shows that the studies made by Madre Selva lacks solid scientific ground, to the contrary it seeks to form extrapolate biased environmental information of a site and transfer it to another, with the sole purpose of justifying the opposition to some project in particular.

About the results: The major part of the results in reality are background and may not be considered as results in any serious study. In the section of flora they cite 664 species (of flora) belonging to a list of the ecoregion of Lachua and not of Santa Maria Cahabon. For the area of Santa Maria Cahabon they only cite 15 plants. These plants were mentioned in another study with the main focus in restoring rainforest fragmented through cultivating cacao and which, by the nature of the study, the plants were worked by morph species. In the section of fauna, it mentions values of richness of species for the Usumacinta basin and the ecoregion of Lachua, which are extensive areas and located in other sites which do not belong to the Renace hydroelectric projects. Regarding the reptiles and mammals, the rich species of the ecoregion of Lachua are also mentioned. The comments established in the previous paragraphs show the flippantly of the studies made by their sources of information and the tendentious form of these groups intending to use part of the information appearing in one of them to point out Renace.

Area: Environment

Lie:

H “

owever with the construction of dams, important changes in the rivers take place. The volume of water stored in the dams and canals, alters the microclimate diminishing the flow of the fluvial system altering its running. A 10% of the minimal ecological flow, based on an average of the historical flow which the natural biotope conditions must maintain, it has already varied due to the climatic change, by the decrease of rain.”

Reality:

he projects of Renace do not have dams, they have structures of derivation known as “Weir” which do not have the capacity of storing water over the riverbank.

The system has small artificial reservoirs, where water is stored to timely perform the regulation of the generation, therefore the water is not retained more than a few hours, so there is no impact in the microclimate, or in the pluvial system. The Renace projects do not flood the land and the waters are not stored for long periods of time. Renace I has a reservoir of 471,000 cubic meters, with an area smaller than 5 hectares.

Area: Environment

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

n the case of Renace, when presenting five phases as independent along 30 kilometers, even being the same complex, the minimal ecological flow stipulated is not sufficient for the life of the Cahabon to recover.â&#x20AC;?

Reality:

he zone where the Renace Hydroelectric Complex operates is one of the best preserved zones of the watershed of the Cahabon River, which can be seen to the naked eye and appreciate the existing biodiversity, both flora and fauna. Renace complies with its legal obligations and guarantees the biodiversity of the section where its projects are found, such as it can be proven with a simple visit to the site, therefore it is not true that damages are made and that the river cannot be recovered.

Area: Environment

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

t last, the hydroelectric power plants built new and wide roads which end in their premises, generating waste of materials, excavating tunnels. Definitively, disassembling the surrounding ground, decreasing and transforming the habitat. Without forgetting to mention the environmental impact which the noises form and the solid and liquid contamination.â&#x20AC;?

Reality:

he construction of roads is a necessity of all Guatemalan communities and for the ones in the zone of Renace are a great opportunity of development. The roads are the beginning of the way towards their development. It is very strange that the groups using these arguments, some being european, question the construction of roads, unless it is done, with the purpose of falsely appointing as the report pretends. See Annex 4

All processes of construction at Renace have strict quality controls and constant monitoring of the environmental impacts guarantying the good disposition of the products from the construction activities. As it was mentioned, MARN has conducted several auditing of the projects, having found all in agreement with the laws and best environmental practices. See Annex 3

Area: Legal

Lie:

S â&#x20AC;&#x153;

ome communitarians affirm that the entity ensures them that they pay taxes to the municipality, while the municipality informs them that it does do not receive anything. Others inform that they have requested a joint meeting, but it has not taken placeâ&#x20AC;?.

Reality:

enace pays on time all of its taxes required by law, not only to the Central Government, but those related to licenses of construction, taxes to real estate property, etc. See Annex 5

Area: Legal

Lie:

“

n fact, the hoarding of land regarding different phases of Renace has been publicly denounced by representatives of communal boards. Accusing the entity of even keeping the five meters of public land in the margins of the channels, as they say has happened in Panzamala.”

Reality:

uch public complaint does not exist. Renace has a policy of purchasing the land which begins by minimizing the impact of their projects, the purchase of land is made through transparent processes guaranteed by the complete community, every property or property rights “derecho real” is paid higher than market conditions and is formally processed and duly documented. See Annex 6 Regarding the case of Panzamala, these groups lie in the same form as they have along all the discredit campaign or they lack the knowledge of guatemalan laws, or in any case, it shows supine ignorance of the reality made reference to, since neither in the Cahabon River or in the Canlich exists five meters zones which are property of the state.

Area: Human Rights

Lie:

“

n the communities like Xicacao, some neighbors mention that at the beginning 69 families were interested in this last program to receive aid with farming tools (shovels, picks, etc.) by now there are only 19 families because not everybody accepts them. It also indicates that the entities have collaborated with the construction of an educational center, but now it does not have any teachers”

Reality:

he affirmation made is false.

The reality is that the “Ministerio de Educación” (MINEDUC) built an Institute in Oqueba (and not in Xicacao). MINEDUC does not have a budget for its operation, including the payment of teachers to provide the classes for the children. Before this situation, Renace collaborated with the payment of the teachers See Annex 7 so that such school is not in disuse and the children have access to the human right of education. Besides, the relationship of all the community of Xicacao has been excellent and both the leaders as the rest of the community may attest of the active participation of the programs of Renace. In all the communities comprising Renace IV, there is complete coverage of the 7 programs of development promoted by the entity. See Annex 8.

Area: Human Rights

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153; 62

enace does not periodically inform of its CSR. This lack of transparency increases the risk of use of the social programs to create client list networks in a municipality with high indexes of povertyâ&#x20AC;?

Reality:

ll the development programs of Renace, start from a process of socialization and have spread to all the communities found in the primary perimeter of the zone of influence, therefore they are not client programs, it seeks to benefit all the families. The process of authorization begins with the authorities of the communities (COCODES), then with the Municipality, after in the general meeting (the whole community and authorities), to communicate, dialogue and reach agreements. The purpose, is always to sign an agreement between the entity and the community, previous to beginning the social programs of each community, therefore there is no moment of client network mentioned in the document, it is not feasible, since the agreement is with the genuine representatives of their own communities. This type of processes are followed fairly to avoid what the report pretends to appoint in negative and irresponsible manner.

Area: Human Rights

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153; 64

he representative of COCODES claims, likewise the criminalization of those opposing the project. The responsible of sustainability from Renace, the mentioned Carlos Barrientos, has complaint of seven neighbors (Antonio Tus Caal, Alfredo Chocooj, Hermelindo Xo, Pablo Sacut, Domingo Cat Yat, and Santigao Coc y Pedro Chub) for threatsâ&#x20AC;?.

Reality:

here is no complaint on behalf of Renace against these people (verifiable by any person through the Law of Access to Information).

The people mentioned were accused before the Human Rights Attorney, by the same neighbors of the community of Panzamala due to acts of violence towards their neighbors, trying to prevent that work be provided to the rest of the community. See Annex 9.

Area: Influences

Lie: “

everal people interviewed hold that there is a tactical alliance between Renace and the major of San Pedro de Carcha. There are rumors, without proof that the entity has financed the election campaign in 2011. The people interviewed suggest that their major, in practice, is a social operator of the entity.”

Reality:

t is irresponsible on behalf of Alianza por la Solidaridad to make this type of insinuations without any type of proof. Renace does not finance electoral campaigns nor does it have political operators, its acts are transparent, in agreement with the corporate values and through the collaborators of the entity. Twenty years of being in the zone is the best evidence of the work the entity makes and of their practices in all areas, including politically. It is regrettable that a report that claims to be “serious”, includes arguments, rumors and at the same time acknowledge the lack of proof.

Area: Human Rights

Lie: “ 66

n the communities as Pansamalá, at the end they provide temporal employment to approximately 100 people, but in groups of twenty, fortnightly. There is no evidence that there are formal agreements with Social Security. This way of functioning, say the sources, generate a relative small amount of working hours, and foster proliferation of local phenomenon of micro-corruption when assigning the shifts.”

Reality:

he process of temporal contracts is coordinated with the COCODES of each community, where they are the ones guarantying that the list is respected and more people from the communities are benefited. It is an entity specialized in hiring, and it complies 100% with labor obligations established in the Labor Code.

The processes begins with the signature of the contract, where the conditions of the position and the salary are established (in the majority of cases is higher than the minimal wage established by law). During the working relationship, it is established if the position is permanent or temporal, all the employees have a coverage of social security and likewise, the hiring company makes the payment of employer’s quota and the corresponding discounts for each position. Annually an approximate of 15,000 labor positions between temporal and permanent are handled.

Area: Environment

Lie: “ 68

eaders of the 12 communities situated in the environment of Renace I and Renace II, at the right margin from San Pedro Carcha, are organizing to complaint about the environmental disaster which has generated the work in its territory”

Reality:

here is no such “organization” to this date nothing has happened. Again this campaign is based on rumors or in the worst scenario it generates on its own account, disinformation with the purpose of creating a theater of conflict which does not exist.

Many times the “Ministerio de Ambiente” has visited each one of the phases of Renace to make audits of the surroundings and the practices of operation. See Annex 3 It can be evidenced that the final opinions have been “zero findings”, which shows the excellent operational management and the meticulous care of the environmental section of Renace, which constantly monitors all environmental indicators of biodiversity and also generates programs that guarantee the environmental transcendence in the zone through various flagship projects such as “The National Strategy for the Conservation of the Quetzal”, performing jointly with “Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas” (CONAP) and “Asociación Científica para la Conservación de la Naturaleza” (ACCN).

Area: Environment

Lie: “ 70

uring the construction of Renace II and III, other negative effects in the environment have been claimed. The most important one is the practice of disappearance of the flow during part of the year in a section of some 30 kilometers, which directly impacts the biodiversity of the fauna and flora associated thereto, but there has also been contamination of the Cahabon River, which would have affected the system of natural pools of Semuc Champey (third touristic destiny of the country after Antigua and Tikal) the deforestation in the zone for work related with the access, machinery zones, etcetera”

Reality:

he document published by Alianza por la Solidaridad, describes the following: “This first dam of Renace has an active reservoir of 450 cubic meters of storage of the Cahabon River´s water and a channel of 6.5 km, allowing to generate a potency of 66MW”. • On page 26 it describes Renace II: “Renace II includes two dams: one of derivation over the river (of 100,000 cubic meters) and another one of regulation consisting of 1.1 km. of channels and 8.5 km of underground tunnels…”

• On page 28 it describes Renace III: “Renace III, situated in a zone where the river is very fitted, it has a derived weir, a channel of adduction, a tunnel of about five kilometers, a charge camera and three turbines of electric generation…” • On page 29, the document describes Renace IV: Here no data regarding length is included, along the Cahabon River, affected by this project. It is indicated that the project affects this River (The Cahabon) and its affluent, Canlich River. If the data presented in this document are taken, we find the following lengths:

Plant

Kms. per plant

Total Kms.

RENACE I

Channel

6.5 Kms. (Page 25)

RENACE II

Channel 1.1 Kms + Tunnel 8.5Kms.

9.6 Kms. (Page 26)

RENACE III

Tunnel

5.0 Kms. (page 28)

Total Kilometers

21.1 Kms.

The first thing to indicate is that the total of kilometers of the Cahabon River where the project is built are 21, therefore the minimal amount of water which should be left in the riverbank within the area of the project is the ecological flow (defined when the project was approved) and it has to be sufficient for the human beings who depend on the river for their necessary water for their maintenance, including the water required for human consume. In this point it is important to highlight that the Cahabon River suffers severe damage, that has increased due the contamination of the water served that spilled in fall the river of 18

communities located upstream of the location of the Renace projects and which makes its waters unusable for human consume without the adequated treatment.

Renace I has been operating for 12 years. The minimal flow left in the riverbed is at least 10.800,000 liters each ten hours. Meaning 10,800,000 tons of water every ten hours. The best way to establish if that amount of water, as ecological flow, combined with the climate of the zone, it is sufficient for the support of the riversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ecological flow, is making some simple comments. To begin with, it can be observed in the following photo, taken in March 2016, the flow of the river, the channel with water and the surrounding vegetation. With the life of nature, there is no deceit. If it has the elements in need, it flourishes and is visible. If it does not have what is needed (the water is a fundamental element) what once may have had life, languishes and dies, leaving an arid and deserted landscape. It is easily deductible, by the picture, that the ecological flow with which Renace I has worked for 12 years is providing the ecological support required by the riverbed of the Cahabon River within the area of the project.

Area: Environment

Lie: MADRE SELVA:

“

he construction of hydroelectric power plants has broken into “pieces” the river and has dried several sections. One of this sections, with the authorization of the “Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales”, who did not consider necessary to submit both projects to one evaluation of environmental impact. The authorization of the ministry even though there is opposition from the communities, will allow the entity to obtain higher profits and is based on the “profound deterioration” of the surroundings in detriment of the preexisting exploitations”.

Reality:

enace has not dried the river, nor has it broken into pieces. As an operating principle it is simply impossible. The surrounding communities have presented no opposition to the construction of the projects. After 20 years of being in the zone, it would be impossible to carry out the construction of the projects without the aware acceptance on behalf of the communities.

When visiting the zone, it can be ascertained that the area where Renace is located is one of the best preserved ones from Cahabon and there is no way to show such â&#x20AC;&#x153;deteriorationâ&#x20AC;? of the surroundings or of the biodiversity. As it was previously explained, by law in Guatemala the studies of environmental impact must be presented separately in order to make a very detailed evaluation in each one of them.

Area: Environment

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

t appoints that the fragmentation of the watershed in successive reservoirs and hydroelectric plants is turning the riverbank in a drain from the municipality of Carcha to Lanquin. On one hand, because when having less water in the flow it reduces its natural depuration, because even though the channelization of water through pipes and its downfall in ramps generates oxygenation, it also inhibits the natural processes of decantation of sediment and impurities in the riverbank.â&#x20AC;?

Reality:

he Cahabon River (sadly equally as many guatemalan rivers) is the drainage of the municipalities it goes through. The Renace projects help the natural depuration, since it withdraws a big amount of municipal solid residue which to the contrary would end in the Izabal Lake, affecting biodiversity as it goes through. Only in 2015, 10 tons of solid residue were extracted.

Additionally, Guatemala loses approximately 148 million tons of soil an17 nually (Environmental Profile of Guatemala 2010-2012) , which is multi-causality. Therefore, the problem of sedimentation is not a problem originated nor aggravated by the hydroelectric, on the contrary the hydroelectric helps to clean the rivers and remove sand, to the contrary it would reach the riverbank, and in the case of Renace, Izabal Lake. RENACE monitors the quality of the water from the river, both at the entrance of the Project and at its departure, in said monitoring it shows the riverÂ´s conditions have improved in some specific parameters.

17 At:http://www.mineduc.gob.gt/portal/contenido/menu_lateral/programas/seminario/docs13/ PERFIL%20AMBIENTAL%20GUATEMALA%202010%202012.pdf

Area: Human Rights

Lie: “ 78

inally, the night of April 21, was object of an attack with fire arms and shot in the leg, even though it has not been proven to be related with the hydroelectric. This section would also include the claims of the seven communitarians of Pansamalá, opposed to the sales of land to CMI”.

Reality:

he man it mentions, named Carlos Vicente and belonging to the community of Rubelcruz, is an activist of the Grupo Ceiba and had an altercation with the community. It was the same community that confronted him and before this situation, and on its own account, he shot himself in the leg, even though it is not known with certainty if by error or by its own will. That is the version given by several communitarian leaders of Rubelcruz. Renace did not have anything to do with the incident, what is obvious in the comments made by Alianza por la Solidaridad, is the bad intention of wanting to associate Renace, even without proof with this type of situations. The above is validated in a communitarian meeting. See Annex 10.

At: http://grupoceiba.org/gruce/

Area: Human Rights

Lie: “ 80

n Santa Cecilia, neighbors of the community remember that the construction of Renace I there were protesters because they were generating energy to export where the communities do not have…” “We then searched the support of Renace to introduce the light and they asked us for a census. We gave it to them and we haven´t heard anything else. “

Reality:

he energy generated by the Renace projects is delivered to the national system to supply the national demand.

Renace as generator of electricity, by law cannot give energy to any community, since that is a function of the distribution entities. However, great efforts have been made to train and give input and show mechanisms necessary for the communities organized to request their own connection to the electric energy network, besides promoting opportune approaches with the entity Energuate and other entities to promote that power lines reach communities that are 19 dispersed and really far away from the towns. Currently the 65% of the communities in the area of influence of Renace have electric energy service, thanks to the roads that Renace has built and the processes of facilitation made.

http://www.mem.gob.gt/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Cobertura-Electrica-2015.pdf

Area: Consultation

Lie: “ 82

pecifically, there have been many complaints against CMI. Two of the claims where presented by inhabitants of the Xicacao community, on November 13 of 2014, in the city of Guatemala before the Crime Unit against Activists of Human Rights Prosecution. According to the claim, personnel from CMI have invaded properties to make topographic measurements without asking for permission th the owner families of the land. A man from a cooperative showed its concern because the entity is “owner of the major part of the land of the families living in the Cahabon basin” suggesting an alleged hoarding of lands.”

Reality:

here are no such complaints (easily verifiable by any person through the Law of Access to Public Information in Guatemala) it is a lie included in such Report.

The Report mentions complaints, which do not exist, therefore there are no cited sources nor any location, courts are not mentioned where the complaints were presented, or the minimum information to make such accusations credible.

Area: Human Rights

Lie: “

nother complaint before the “Ministerio de Medio Ambiente” made by two sisters of the community of Purulha, Ana Rosa and Dominga Salam, who refused to sell some land so Renace could widen the road for machinery use with the purpose of building Renace IV.” “Before the State fixed the road and did not ask for anything from anybody, but now the entity does it and we do not want our river to dry, it is sacred. We have seen what they have done to the Cahabon with Renace II.” Both sisters have received pressure and threats by members of the community for being difficult with the hydroelectric.”

Reality:

hose were false complaints, since the housings were not affected at any moment, it can be proven since the houses are intact. Besides, those complaints have been verified both by the “Ministerio de Gobernación” (MINGOB) and by the Human Rights Prosecutor (PDH). In both cases, minutes have been issued invalidating the accusers. When the day of the hearing arrived (and later of verification with PDH and MINGOB) both sisters Tzalam never appeared. See Annex 11, 12 y 13

It is worth mentioning that the extension of the road made reference to, was a request from all the community (who had requested it in a meeting) for the benefit of all the neighbors. This case in particular was promoted and encouraged by a small group of people from the community of Panzamala who are working for Mister Bernardo Caal with the purpose, at this moment, of stopping the project.

An employee from Protection International distributing posters

Area: Human Rights

Lie: “

omplaints of several communities from Alta Verapaz, in April of 2016, reached the “Comisión Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala” (CICIG) and and the “Ministerio de Energía y Minas”. Specifically refer to a real estate property of the State, in the riverbank of Cahabon, which had been illegally granted to Renace, therefore requesting the intervention of the “Ministerio Público” (MP) and the “Comisión Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala” (CICIG).”

Reality:

ot only there is no existence of such complaints before MP (any person can verify such information through the Law of Access to Public Information) but it was an argument used by one of the representatives of certain social organizations to seek attention of the guatemalan means of communication, indicating that one of the lands had been delivered fraudulently by one of the attorneys of a Hydroelectric close to Renace. The truth is that in all the lands belonging to the Renace Hydroelectric Project, they are not only registered before the Registry of Property, also the purchasing processes have been completely transparent. Once again, they want to give the sensation that a serious investigation has taken place about Renace, using rumors and distorted information with the bad intention of creating a discrediting story against Renace.

Area: Human Rights

Lie: “

rom the High Commissioner of Human Rights of the UN, connoisseurs of the complaints regarding the Cahabon River, they attest that the projects such as Renace cause great damage because, they “deteriorate the traditional forms of territorial organization, generating a long term impact, since the entities center in the support of the COCODES, which are not always acting in agreement with what their communities want”. “The ones acting in good faith, are exposed to the pressures and they have no money to denounce them”. The High Commissioner has foreseen making an informative mission in the zone in the next months to document what is happening in the zone, given the difficulty to access information about the project”

Reality:

ister Commissioner Alberto Brunori, the official of the program of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in UN, Denise Hauser and the Human Rights Attorney for Guatemala Jorge de León Duque, visited the project and were witnesses firsthand of the socioenvironmental practices of Renace. They have access to all the information of the socialization processes, purchases of land and implementation of sustainable social development programs.

Area: Consultation

Lie: “ 90

hereto, the implied entities begin to lose fear of organizing and obtaining support to present complaints, even though they still have not reached the point of generating a joint platform of complaints, up to the closure of this report. Within the mentioned ones, numerous communities, request that the flow is stable and sufficient for the river to maintain its biodiversity, to finance and support the electrification in the surrounding communities to Renace, that drinkable water is provided channeled to all inhabitants, that health centers and educational centers are built with professionals and that maternity is financed in Cobán, helping to decrease the high indexes of mortality in childbirth.”

Reality:

hecommunities’ neighbors of Renace have not been fearful of organizing. It is the way in which historically they have communicated, through communitarian meetings and different forms of priority of their own programs which they have identified as necessary and opportune for their development.

Among those highlighted and addressed: nutrition (through the program of Better Families) education and implementation of technology (through the program Educational Excellence), sexual and reproductive health, and the formation of a life plan (through the program My Health, My responsibility) leadership and values based on mayan cosmovision (through the School of Leadership and the program of Sports Excellence). All of them have had a significant impact which can be validated through the Index of Social Progress (ISP) through the “Instituto de Progreso Social en Guatemala”, in the communities close to Renace, being this the factor of change. See Annex 15

#16 USA EEUU

#28 CR

#79 GUA

#1 NOR

4p 2.

Countries ofCA CA Países de

Renace has made important efforts to support the communities to resolve the problems relative to the satisfaction of the basic needs, including the supply of drinkable water; however, it is not the responsibility of Renace to solve the problems belonging to the State and which have been ignored for many years.

42.6 42.6

Renace I, II & III

39 #130 GUI

40.2

Comunidad Control

Control Community

Generación de Generating Valor Social Social Value

Area: Human Rights

Lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;

owever, it has not happened in the case of Renace. The relationship of CMI with the affected communities responds more to the logic of commercial promotion of the project and limited, than the responsibility and application of the due diligence should be shared by CMI, Group ACS and Group Cobra, and other possible actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; suppliers and/or subcontractorsâ&#x20AC;?.

Reality:

enace, has had a CSR strategy for years that is one of the most robust in the sector within Guatemala. It has been many times praised by national and international bodies, for the amount of the components involving it, searching the development of the people in all its stages of their lives (since the conception of the child and their infancy, until their adultness) and promotes conditions for the development in their own territory where the communities live. They allow to reduce and override the desires to migrate to more developed zones within Guatemala or outside the country. It is worked in two fundamental axis: the opportune and adequate communitarian relationship and the generation of sustainable social development.

Area: Consultation

Lie: “

P (2014, Complaint by Juan Chub for the disappearance of Ovidio Chub against Carlos Barrientos (RENACE). Guatemala, “Ministerio Público, Unidad de Delitos contra Activistas de Derechos Humanos”, complaint received on Thursday, November 13, 2014.”

Reality:

here is no such direct complaint against Renace in the “Ministerio Público”.

Effectively, it was intended to adjudge the disappearance of such person to Renace. However, the competent authorities, made the corresponding investigation and the judge indicated that the accusing party could not appoint the entity over something which it did not have any proofs. The complaint never followed legal course.

Area: Financing

Lie: “

lorentino Pérez is a majoritarian shareholder of Renace and is violating the Human Rights of 29,000 indigenous in Alta Verapaz”.

Reality:

nother falsehood expressed since several months ago in various means and in several NGO. Mister Florentino Pérez is the President of the Spanish group ACS, owner of the entity COBRA Instalaciones Hidráulicas whose main activity is the construction of hydraulic works, including hydroelectric. This last one was chosen as the builder in the projects Renace II, III and IV after a bidding process where several international entities participated, due to the fact that it presented the best engineering and economic proposal. Therefore Mister Florentino Pérez has no direct relationship with the execution of the hydroelectric projects Renace and least of all as financier or shareholder.

Area: Growth of the Complex

Lie: “ 96

enace is trying to intervene in other areas of Alta Verapaz such as San Juan Chamelco and Santa Cruz, therefore they have been making studies in the zone for more than a year”.

Reality:

t is false that Renace has been making studies in San Juan Chamelco or Santa Cruz Quiché, with the purpose of installing new projects. This type of declarations show a clear example of the intention of certain groups to generate conflict involving other populations where Renace does not have nor intends to have presence.

Area: Projects of the Complex

Lie: “

enace is a hydroelectric group that belongs to the same owner of hydroelectric power plants in Quiché and Huehuetenango, all of them are used to export energy abroad”.

Reality:

he investors of Renace are not owners of other hydroelectric projects outside Alta Verapaz. The energy generated by Renace serves to cover primarily the national demand and this type of comments show, on one hand the complete ignorance on behalf of these NGO’s regarding how the electric market works, and also how they seek to generate conflict appointing that Renace is exporting energy, as if this last part was something brittle.

Conclusions 98

fter analyzing the arguments established in the discredit campaign against Renace, there is only one conclusion: THERE IS A PERVERSE INTEREST TO DISCREDIT RENACE, using lies, misrepresentations, incoherencies, insinuations, rumors and remarks without any type of evidence and in an irresponsible manner. In summary: 1. The reports published, both by Alianza por la Solidaridad as the one financed by the NGO Diakonía, of Swedish origin, lacks technical, investigative and academic rigor, to be taken seriously in what is specified and in its context. 2. In aspects as basic as the environmental studies, Madre Selva takes the liberty to extrapolate data from a region to be used in another region, undeterred (this cannot be done, especially in a country like Guatemala where the microclimate dominates) and in gran part of the “provided information” it has no grounds, and therefore cannot be proven or corroborated in its veracity, since it is based in “rumors” and “suppositions”. 3. The bias campaign of disinformation, carries false conclusions whose purpose seems to be the discredit of Renace, its collaborators and the communities forming part of this project.

4. It is disturbing that national and international NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, present reports without the responsibility, with distorted data and without consequences of what its expressed thereto, using the vulnerability of the population and renewable natural resources as an excuse for its erratic purposes. 5. These organizations have deviated the nature of their own existence, and they use lies against the sustainable projects such as RENACE, through the years, which has dedicated to combat the low indexes of human development and the historic absence of the State; all of it, with attachment to the national and international laws in the matter, and the complete respect of the Human Rights of the communities. 6. It is necessary to publicly denounce this pseudo studies and irresponsible acts of certain NGO, especially when it is evident that it goes against peopleÂ´s rights and making prevail the only interest which they really have, consisting of having media attention which allows them to continue receiving international financing. 99

Renace in numbers 15,000

100

Average of annual employees (between permanent and temporal)

$94.00/ MWh The lowest rate awarded in PEG 02-2012 and PEG 03-2013

+39

Communitarian infrastructure projects such as Schools, Convergence parlors, Churches

7 PROGRAMS of development, implemented

at 33 communities in the zone of influence

+35,000 Beneficiaries

+93

Kilometers of built and maintained roads

+USD $25 millions

of direct social investment

USD $450 millions injected

into national economy An impact of

USD $140

to the generation of employment and business in the region

101

USD $40 million in taxes

130%

102

of compensation of reforestation per intervened gray area

monitoring, identification and care of

140

floral species monitoring, identification and care of

bird species monitoring, identification and care of

fish species

monitoring, identification and care of

mammal species

hectares dedicated to the Natural Reserve of Renace

Tons of solid waste retrieved from the Cahabon River per year

103

Annexes 104

Annex 0 Attendees to the launch of the Campaign

106

Tierrra en Madrid â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Land in Madrid- by AXS and Madre Tierra

Annex 1 Model of Communitarian Relationship Renace

107

Annex 2 Edicts published 132

Annex 3 Audit Meeting of Campsite Renace Meeting of Preliminary Findings Renace Meeting of Preliminary Findings Reservoir Meeting of Preliminary Findings Renace II Environmental License Renace I Environmental License Renace II phase I Environmental License Renace II phase II Environmental License Renace IV

135

Environmental License Renace IV roads

Annex 10

Annex 4

Meeting from the activist Carlos Vicente from Grupo Ceiba

Communitarian Authorization Meeting of Widening of Roads

168

146

Annex 11 Meeting from the visit of the investigators of MINGOB

Annex 5

172

Tax Payment 149

Annex 12 Communitarian Meeting of Visit PDH

Annex 6 Purchase Agreement of Real Estate Property

153

Payroll of teachers from the school

Annex 13 Report from PDH regarding the case of the sisters Tzalam

Annex 7 159

175

177

Annex 14 Construction Agreement 182 of the Hydroelectric Project Renace IV

Annex 8 Social Project Agreement

161

Annex 15 Report IPS 189

Annex 9 Claim of neighbors against COCODE of Panzamala

166

105

Annex 0 Attendees to the launch of the Campaign Tierrra at Madrid â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Land in Madrid- by AXS and Madre Tierra

106

Annex 1 Model of Communitarian Relationship Renace

RENACE

MODELO DE RELACIONAMIENTO COMUNITARIO

107

108

La División de Energía (DEN) de Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), nació en Junio del 2011 con el propósito de desarrollar proyectos de generación eléctrica y con ellos suministrar energía limpia, confiable y competitiva para beneficiar a los consumidores de electricidad en Guatemala, apoyando a la vez el desarrollo social del país. El complejo hidroeléctrico RENACE, es el proyecto más importante de la DEN en este momento, el cual consta de varios proyectos en cascada situados sobre el río Cahabón, en el municipio de San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. La cascada de proyectos inicia con Renace I, con una capacidad instalada de 66 MW, luego se localiza Renace II con una capacidad de 114 MW, y a continuación los proyectos Renace III y IV con capacidades de 66 MW y 60 MW respectivamente, que en su conjunto proyectan una capacidad total de 306 MW, convirtiéndose en el complejo hidroeléctrico más grande en Centroamérica. En un ambiente de alta conflictividad socio-ambiental como el que se vive en Guatemala, donde la industria eléctrica ha sido una de las más atacadas, Renace comprendió desde el inicio que para desarrollar y construir sus proyectos eficientemente y mitigar los riesgos más significativos, incluyendo los riesgos de oposición social, debía incorporar a su modelo de negocios las mejores prácticas de Responsabilidad Social Empresarial (RSE) disponibles. Con el tiempo y con la incorporación de prácticas innovadoras, todo esto se convirtió en un modelo de relacionamiento comunitario integral, coherente, sólido, replicable y con visión de largo plazo, el cual expresa de forma clara lo que a Renace le ha permitido tener éxito en el relacionamiento con las comunidades de San Pedro Carchá y muestra la manera como se puede protagonizar el cambio social positivo a través de la democratización de las oportunidades. El presente Modelo de Relacionamiento Comunitario de Renace muestra de forma resumida y sencilla, los principios, la evolución, el contenido y la implementación de la estrategia social seguida por Renace y que hoy, es un ejemplo a seguir en otras comunidades, regiones y países como vehículo para llevar prosperidad a las comunidades más abandonadas.

109

ETAPAS

DE LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE LA RSE

110

La evolución de la Estrategia de RSE y específicamente de Relacionamiento Comunitario de RENACE se ha dado en varias etapas que han implicado un aprendizaje y maduración continuo de la organización en su forma de interactuar y relacionarse de una mejor manera con las comunidades y los otros actores clave.

ETAPA 2 ETAPA 1 Diagnóstico social y de percepción comunitaria: En esta etapa se analizaron las expectativas, temores, prejuicios de los pobladores y se evaluaron las principales necesidades de las familias en las comunidades de influencia. Se llevó a cabo también una caracterización de la población, cultura, costumbres, liderazgos, fortalezas, debilidades, situación socio económica, etc.

Diseño e inicio de la implementación de la estrategia de Relacionamiento Comunitario: En esta etapa se diseñó una estrategia de relacionamiento comunitario que respondió al diagnóstico social y a la necesidad de viabilizar la construcción de los proyectos. En esta etapa se logró el compromiso de la alta Dirección de la DEN y de CMI, la asignación de recursos, se estructuró formalmente la función de RSE, se llevó a cabo la sensibilización interna, se definieron la misión, visión, ejes de intervención y planes de trabajo.

SOSTENIBILIDAD

2012

2013

ETAPA 4 ETAPA 3 Alineación del Sistema de Gestión Integral de RSE: Se adoptaron los principios y estándares de la RSE apoyados por CentraRSE: Se inicia la ejecución del plan de trabajo de RSE con visión integral, se hace la primera medición IndicaRSE, se inicia el proceso de homolgación ISO 26,000, se adoptan los ocho principios de Relacionamiento Comunitario del IFC, los Principios de Ecuador y los 10 principios de Global Compact de las Naciones Unidas.

ETAPA 5 Hacia un estándar mundial:

Mejora continua de los sistemas de gestión integral de RSE: Se busca optimizar y superar los estándares locales y regionales por medio de: •

Certificaciones ISO 14,000, OHSAS 18,000, ISO 9,000, ISO 26,000.

•

Se promueve la innovación social para crear mejores prácticas de RSE en el contexto de la generación hidroeléctrica y con fuentes renovables.

•

Desarrollo de la tecnología social aportada por Cultivando Agua Buena (CAB) para aplicar en la zona de influencia del proyecto.

La DEN se ha propuesto cumplir con un estándar mundial por medio de su adhesión a la normativa internacional aplicable, tales como GRI (Global Reporting Innitiative), el Global Compact.

111

ETAPA ACTUAL

2014

2015

2016

REALIDAD Y ENTORNO

112

El ámbito de acción de Renace ha sido predominantemente en 33 comunidades de San Pedro Carchá, cuya ubicación se encuentra en el departamento de Alta Verapaz y tiene una extensión territorial de 1,082 kilómetros cuadrados. Limita al Norte con Chisec y Fray Bartolomé de las Casas. Al Este con Cahabón, Lanquín y Senahú, al Sur con Senahú, Tucurú y San Juan Chamelco y al Oeste con Cobán y Chisec; predomina la cultura Q´eqchi, rica en tradiciones. Su división fisiográfica está compuesta de cerros de caliza que se caracterizan por tener pendientes inclinadas, suelos poco profundos y rocosos, es por estas montañas donde correo el Río Cahabón y donde se encuentra localizado el complejo hidroeléctrico Renace. Datos relevantes: •

Población: 228,100 habitantes

•

50% de los hogares tienen acceso al agua

•

27% de la población está conectada a energía eléctrica

•

92% vive en áreas rurales

•

88% vive en pobreza

•

49% de los niños menores de 5 años tienen desnutrición

•

90% de los hogares usan leña

•

36% tiene acceso a educación básica

•

21% logran alcanzar el nivel medio de educación

•

0.64% de la recaudación de los impuestos totales del país provienen de Carchá

•

3% de la población tiene acceso a internet

SAN PEDRO CARCHÁ

FUNDAMENTOS Y PRINCIPIOS La estrategia de RSE y de Relacionamiento Comunitario de Renace se inspira en varios fundamentos y principios que funcionan como guías rectoras del actuar de la empresa: A) FUNDAMENTOS: Para Renace, el desarrollo sostenible es parte integral de su estrategia de sostenibilidad del negocio, el cual busca satisfacer las necesidades del presente, sin comprometer la capacidad para que las futuras generaciones puedan satisfacer sus propias necesidades. Las empresas que perduran, son aquellas que pueden de mejor manera, satisfacer estas necesidades. La Estrategia de RSE y Relacionamiento Comunitario se convierte por lo tanto, en una herramienta fundamental para lograr la sostenibilidad del negocio a largo plazo y se convierte en una oportunidad única para trascender a través de la transformación de la realidad social de las comunidades ubicadas en la zona de influencia.

Su filosofía de trabajo se fundamenta en las siguientes máximas: “NO SE HA HECHO NADA GRANDE EN EL MUNDO SIN UNA GRAN PASIÓN” Friederich Hegel “UNA EMPRESA CON PRINCIPIOS NO TIENE FINAL” Fundación Pro-Humana “NO PUEDE EXISTIR UNA EMPRESA VERDADERAMENTE EXITOSA EN UNA SOCIEDAD FRACASADA” Stephan Schmidheiny.

113 B) PRINCIPIOS RENACE está comprometido con el desarrollo de comunidades libres y prósperas en su zona de influencia, con ese fin promueve en primer lugar, un comportamiento con valores entre sus colaboradores, proveedores y en las mismas comunidades.

EL RELACIONAMIENTO COMUNITARIO SEGÚN LAS ETAPAS DEL PROYECTO

La gráfica nos indica que los proyectos tienen fases diferentes con implicaciones distintas, por lo que las acciones deben ser acordes a las necesidades de cada una. Tiempo

Proyectos / Programas

Socialización 1 año

Desarrollo 1 a 2 años

Alto impacto/ Corto efecto Infraestructura y Trabajo Comunitario

Operación largo plazo

60%

Bajo impacto/ Largo efecto Programa de Desarrollo

Mediano impacto/ Mediano Efecto Relaciones Comunitarias

Construcción 2 a 3 años

100%

40%

20%

60%

20%

40%

*%de inversión curva de inversión curva de confianza *Los porcentajes varían de acuerdo a cada caso particular

El accionar adecuado según las necesidades de cada fase impacta en la confianza.

Inversión

114

Uno de los factores de éxito que ha permitido a RENACE alcanzar acuerdos equitativos y oportunos con las comunidades de la zona, es su compromiso genuino en provocar cambios sociales positivos y sostenibles. Este compromiso surge de comprender que la RSE y el Desarrollo Social Sostenible (DSS) son una inversión y no un gasto innecesario, que viabilizan el negocio y su crecimiento, y de la comprensión que la intervención social debe hacerse en forma oportuna y de acuerdo a las fases de cada proyecto.

PROGRAMAS Y PROYECTOS

ALTO IMPACTO / CORTO EFECTO: Llamados así porque su impacto a nivel de imagen en las comunidades es alto pero su efecto tiene corta duración. Son programas que incrementan significativamente y en poco tiempo la infraestructura y el trabajo comunitario. Son proyectos que atienden necesidades inmediatas y sirven como habilitadores de los programas de largo plazo. Infraestructura Comunitaria • Escuelas • Caminos • Salones comunales • Suministros de agua • Otros proyectos de infraestructura Trabajo Comunitario • Complementan la oferta de trabajo de los proyectos hidroeléctricos con la demanda para trabajos comunitarios. MEDIANO IMPACTO / MEDIANO EFECTO: Llamados así porque su impacto a nivel de imagen en las comunidades es constante, así como su efecto en el tiempo. Programas que promueven la relación de buenos vecinos a través de la comunicación de los valores y la filosofía Renace. Se basan principalmente en la estrategia integral de Relacionamiento Comunitario. Incluye: Comunicación y Relacionamiento • Plan de divulgación e información • Procesos de resolución de conflictos • Campeonatos deportivos • Ferias navideñas • Luces Renace

115

10 • •

Patrocinio para actividades municipales Fortalecimiento de relaciones institucionales

Desarrollo de la Organización • Capacitación en comunicación, negociación y resolución de crisis / conflictos. • Seguridad y diagnóstico social. • Planes de contingencia. • Programa de cumplimiento de la normativa de Relacionamiento Comunitario (Aplicado a los subcontratistas).

116 BAJO IMPACTO / LARGO EFECTO: Se refiere a una serie de programas llamados así porque su impacto a nivel de imagen en las comunidades es bajo pero su efecto trasciende a lo largo del tiempo. Son programas que transforman comunidades manteniendo su cultura, promoviendo actitudes y formas de actuar positivas para que las personas y familias por sí mismas puedan gestionar su propio desarrollo. En esta área, Renace implementa siete programas enfocados al desarrollo de la persona humana Desarrollo Social Sostenible • • • • • • •

Mejores familias Mi salud, Mi Responsabilidad Excelencia educativa Excelencia deportiva Taller Escuela de Tecnificación Escuela de Liderazgo Finca Escuela

LICENCIA SOCIAL Renace comprende que se requiere la aceptación consciente e informada de las personas y grupos afectados por las actividades empresariales que desarrolla en la zona de influencia, esto se conoce como licencia social. Con este propósito desarrolló su estrategia de Relacionamiento Comunitario y de DSS basada en tres ejes de acción que le han permitido alcanzar dicha Licencia Social. Para facilitar su entendimiento, este accionar se puede mostrar como un banco que tiene tres bases, cada proyecto hidroeléctrico descansa sobre la parte superior del banco y ésta a su vez descansa sobre tres puntos de apoyo.

PROYECTOS

DESARROLLO SOCIAL SOSTENIBLE a) Bajo impacto/ Largo efecto: Programas de desarrollo b) Alto impacto/ Corto efecto: Infraestructura comunitaria c) Oportunidades de desarrollo económico

RELACIONAMIENTO COMUNITARIO a) Identificación y priorización de necesidades b) Búsqueda de consensos para acuerdos comunitarios c) Diagnóstico social d) Compra de tierra y pago de derechos de paso e) Gestión de apertura y mantenimiento de caminos f) Distribución de plazas de trabajo temporal y rotativo g) Gestión de cobertura eléctrica h) Interculturalidad i) Atención de solicitudes y reclamos j) Negociación y resolución de conflictos k) Socialización

VALORES Y PRINCIPIOS CORPORATIVOS a) Responsabilidad b) Excelencia c) Integridad d) Respeto

BASE SOCIAL Grupo homogéneo de individuos que puede ser significativamente agrupable porque comparten, total o parcialmente, determinadas condiciones materiales de existencia, costumbres, cultura, idioma, intereses y necesidades históricas específicas.

117

LAS TRES BASES DE LA LICENCIA SOCIAL

118 VALORES CORPORATIVOS

RELACIONAMIENTO COMUNITARIO

DESARROLLO SOCIAL SOSTENIBLE

Las bases son sólidas, pero cambian en el tiempo dinámicamente. Se relacionan entre sí permanentemente y no pueden existir una sin la otra, funcionan como una serie de engranajes debidamente concatenados.

LOS VALORES CORPORATIVOS

ponde por los propios actos. Se respeta la Ley de Guatemala y se cumple con las responsabilidades ante los accionistas, clientes, proveedores, colaboradores y acreedores. RENACE es respetuoso y solidario con las comunidades de las que es parte.

Todas las acciones de Relacionamiento Comunitario de RENACE se orientan a la promoción de los valores corporativos y que se reflejan en todas las acciones que realiza la empresa: VALORES CORPORATIVOS RE IR

Responsabilidad, Excelencia, Integridad y Respeto: •

Responsabilidad: Se asume el compromiso de ser una organización dinámica, eficaz, moderna y garante de la obligación adquirida con la visión, la misión, los valores y los principios. Se res-

•

Excelencia: Se busca superioridad y corrección en lo que se hace. Se forja con el trabajo resultados dignos de aprecio y admiración. Se rechaza la mediocridad y la ineficiencia pues se busca la excelencia mediante el esfuerzo constante y tenaz, el trabajo en equipo y la comunión de intereses. La

búsqueda de la excelencia es una actitud de vida y en RENACE es el reto permanente y un compromiso ineludible. •

•

Integridad: La integridad es considerada como uno de los activos más importantes. Saben medir sus derechos por sus deberes. La conducta es guiada por valores éticos universales y principios morales que son el fundamento y el compromiso para construir y preservar una Corporación respetable y respetada. En RENACE se profesan virtudes como la transparencia, la rectitud, la voluntad, la disciplina, la honradez y el ejemplo para promover la formación de familias fuertes, empresas prósperas, sociedades libres y naciones modernas.

merecemos ser tratados con dignidad. En RENACE se reconocen como valores éticos del respeto, el cumplimiento de la palabra dada, la realización de los contratos firmados y la observancia de los compromisos adquiridos. CONSTRUCCIÓN DE LA CONFIANZA La Estrategia de Relacionamiento Comunitario de Renace, busca en última instancia la construcción de una relación de amistad y confianza con las comunidades. Esta confianza es la condición que permite el acercamiento con autoridades y población, alcanzar acuerdos equitativos, respetando el liderazgo local y promoviendo la participación activa de las familias.

Adicionalmente, se considera la lealtad como una condición necesaria para formar parte del equipo RENACE y como un compromiso adquirido por la empresa y por todos y cada uno de sus integrantes en forma recíproca y solidaria. La lealtad nace de la coincidencia de valores y principios, y se fortalece por la visión y la misión compartidas.

TRANSPARENCIA

Respeto: El fundamento de este valor ético radica en la atención que se presta a los derechos de los demás para lograr la armonía de la colectividad. El respeto supone entender que como seres humanos todos somos iguales y

CUMPLIMIENTO DE COMPROMISOS

En todas las acciones que Renace impulsa desde el primer acercamiento con las comunidades hasta el trabajo en conjunto con ellas, llevan la impronta de la transparencia, entendiendo ésta como las acciones que permiten proporcionar información clara, completa y oportuna para la toma de decisiones. A través del diálogo y una planificación integrada, se alcanzan acuerdos los cuales se suscriben formalmente y luego se cumplen a cabalidad.

119

14 EL RELACIONAMIENTO COMUNITARIO Busca establecer un lazo de confianza entre comunidad y empresa, lo que supone un mejor entendimiento del contexto comunitario y de la actividad empresarial, mejora la comunicación y rompe los paradigmas sociales negativos que generalmente subyacen en la oposición a los proyectos hidroeléctricos en otras regiones del país. PROCESOS QUE HAN FACILITADO LA CONSTRUCCIÓN DE LA RELACION DE BUENOS VECINOS

120

Todos los procesos de relacionamiento comunitario promueven los derechos de participación y representatividad comunitaria, igualdad de género, pertinencia cultural, promoción de justicia y cumplimento de compromisos, derecho de la niñez, derecho al trabajo, en un ciclo donde comprendemos que todo derecho implica obligaciones.

Diagnóstico social: el diagnóstico social pretende identificar los actores y circunstancias del entorno social, las expectativas, preocupaciones y prioridades de las comunidades. Distribución de plazas de trabajo temporal y rotativo: garantiza la justa distribución del trabajo entre las personas en edad laboral. Gestión de cobertura eléctrica: es un proceso de acompañamiento a la comunidad para que ellos mismos gestionen su cobertura eléctrica. Proceso de divulgación e información: Proceso por medio del cual se mantiene informada a la comunidad sobre las acciones de la empresa en la zona y se garantiza que la información llegue a todo nivel

Identificación y priorización de necesidades: Por medio de este proceso se acompaña a las comunidades para que se identifique y priorice sus verdaderas necesidades y formas de gestionar para suplirlas. Se persuade a los líderes en la búsqueda del desarrollo de largo plazo. Búsqueda de consensos para acuerdos comunitarios: Por medio de varias etapas se informa, se negocia y se alcanzan acuerdos con las comunidades. Gestión de apertura y mantenimiento de caminos: garantiza el correcto mantenimiento y apertura de caminos por medio de la contratación del personal comunitario.

Compra de tierra y pago de derechos de paso: proceso legal para una negociación y compra transparente y justa de tierra y derechos de paso.

Interculturalidad: práctica en la que se consideran las costumbres y tradiciones de las comunidades para una mayor identificación con las mismas.

Atención de solicitudes y reclamos: proceso por medio del cual se le da seguimiento ágil y contínuo a cualquier inquietud, reclamo o solicitud por parte de las comunidades.

Negociación y resolución de conflictos: este proceso nos lleva a la pronta y justa resolución de diferencias asociadas a las actividades de la empresa en la zona.

PROCESOS DE INICIO

PROCESOS FACILITADORES

PROCESOS CONTINUOS

15 DESARROLLO SOCIAL SOSTENIBLE Alcanzar el Desarrollo Social Sostenible no es algo sencillo, no hay una receta y tampoco está garantizado el resultado; es una tarea de largo plazo, que requiere el involucramiento de todos los actores clave y la forma de promoverlo irá cambiando en el tiempo dependiendo de las circunstancias. El Desarrollo Social Sostenible Renace lo aborda desde la visión de romper el ciclo de la pobreza y contribuir a articular el ciclo contrario, que es el del desarrollo.

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL CICLO VICIOSO DE LA POBREZA Este se comprende al identificar los obstáculos y situaciones que impiden el desarrollo de las familias y las comunidades:

Falta de oportunidades

Falta de alimentos

Subdesarrollo Dificultad de aprendizaje

Pobreza

Desconocimiento

DEPENDENCIA Desnutrición

Crecimiento lento, físico y mental Bajo nivel de salud

Estos diferentes elementos del ciclo se suman y concatenan para generar subdesarrollo, que a su vez genera pobreza, llevando a las comunidades a un nivel alto de dependencia.

121

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL CICLO VIRTUOSO DEL DESARROLLO Este se comprende como la articulación de acciones que permiten a las comunidades superar los obstáculos para su desarrollo:

122

Nuevas oportunidades

Aprendizaje adecuado

Alimentos necesarios

Desarrollo Necesidades satisfechas

Conocimiento

AUTONOMÍA Seguridad Alimentaria

Capacidad física y mental Buen nivel de salud

Estos diferentes elementos del ciclo se suman para generar desarrollo, que a su vez genera la satisfacción de las necesidades, llevando a las comunidades a un nivel alto de autonomía.

PROYECTOS

DE INFRAESTRUCTURA COMUNITARIA

Proveen a las comunidades con infraestructura básica que apoye los objetivos de los programas de Desarrollo Sostenible. Están enfocados a cubrir principalmente servicios básicos. Abarca la construcción de: •

Caminos

•

Salones comunales

•

Escuelas

•

Cocinas Escolares

•

Proyectos de abastecimiento de agua

123

PROGRAMAS DE DESARROLLO SOCIAL SOSTENIBLE 124

RENACE ha desarrollado e integrado acciones coherentes que apoyan el crecimiento y desarrollo de las personas y que contribuyen a lograr cambios positivos en la vida de las familias y las comunidades. Son siete los programas que se enlazan cronológicamente y de la siguiente manera: FAMILIAS QUE RENACEN: Bajo este concepto se integra el programa Mejores Familias, el cual vincula a las mujeres en acciones que contribuyen a mejorar la salud y nutrición de sus familias, especialmente de los infantes, a través de la capacitación en las mejores prácticas de salud familiar, incluye la formación de las mujeres en la elaboración de productos artesanales para el uso familiar y la venta a terceros. Provee recursos básicos para la higiene y la salud y da seguimiento y apoyo al crecimiento y desarrollo de los niños durante la primera edad. EXCELENCIA EDUCATIVA: Este programa se enfoca en acciones que se impulsan en el ámbito escolar que incluyen la entrega de útiles escolares, material educativo, formación de maestros, becas escolares y la dotación de centros de tecnología para la educación digital de los niños.

EXCELENCIA DEPORTIVA: Este programa promueve el derecho a la recreación de los niños y niñas impulsando valores de trabajo

19 en equipo, el respeto a las normas, la solidaridad a través del deporte y la igualdad de género. Se utiliza el deporte como una herramienta de entretenimiento, educación y desarrollo de valores. JUVENTUD CON PROPÓSITO: En esta iniciativa se incluye el programa Mi Salud Mi Responsabilidad, auspiciado por la Fundación Juan Bautista Gutiérrez el cual vincula a los jóvenes para capacitarlos en temas de salud sexual y reproductiva, se les apoya en la construcción de su plan de vida de largo plazo con visión y les orienta para trazarse objetivos de vida. ESCUELA DE LIDERAZGO: Este programa promueve el liderazgo local para crear capacidades de gestión a nivel familiar, comunitario y del municipio. Está orientado a promover el liderazgo con valores y pertinencia cultural, tanto del liderazgo incipiente, es decir de los niños, como de los adultos, autoridades formales y tradicionales. FINCA ESCUELA: En este programa se promueve la transferencia de tecnología agrícola apropiada a la región. Busca hacer más eficientes los cultivos actuales e introducir nuevos tipos de cultivos que permitan diversificar la oferta alimenticia propia y originar excedentes que representan ingresos adicionales para las familias. TALLER ESCUELA: En este programa se desarrollan capacitaciones y formación de jóvenes y adultos para mejorar la capacidad técnica local. Los cursos se hacen en conjunto con el INTECAP y cubren áreas como la formación de soldadores, electricistas, panaderos y otras especialidades que se introducirán con el tiempo.

125

20 Como se ha explicado, Renace ha seleccionado programas que apuntan al desarrollo de la persona humana en etapas críticas, para que por medio de éstos se logre desarrollar personas mejor preparadas para enfrentar su propio destino y el de sus familias, con ello propiciar el rompimiento del ciclo vicioso de la pobreza.

126

Mejores Familias: seguridad alimentaria

Excelencia Educativa: permanencia escolar de calidad

0 a 5 años

5 a 15 años

Mi Salud Liga de Futbol: Mi Responsabilidad: aptitudes plan de vida y actitudes para los jóvenes 5 a 15 años

11 a 20 años

Escuela de Lidera formación de líde con visión de fut

adolescentes y adultos

Centro de Escuela Capacitación Escuelade Chisap: azgo: FincaEscuela Finca Chisap: Liderazgo: alud Ocupacional: mejorar técnicas eres mejorar técnicas formación de líderes sabilidad: la vida de uturo de cultivo concultivo visión de futuro oficios para e vida jóvenes

s 0 años

adolescentes adolescentes y adultos y adultos

Centro de Capacitación Ocupacional: oficios para la vida adolescentes y adultos

127

OPORTUNIDADES DE DESARROLLO ECONÓMICO

128

La preparación y formación de jóvenes y adultos con capacidad para enfrentar los retos de la vida es una parte fundamental del modelo de Relacionamiento Comunitario y DSS de Renace, sin embargo no es suficiente sino viene complementado con la generación de oportunidades de desarrollo económico que permita a las familias permanecer en la zona y mejorar su nivel de vida. Por esa razón, Renace por medio de diferentes proyectos busca promover y facilitar las condiciones que impulsen el desarrollo económico en la zona de influencia El éxito y caracterización de estos proyectos de desarrollo económico, dependen de muchas condiciones, la zona geográfica, la cultura, el entorno y la capacidad e iniciativa de las personas. Con este complemento, Renace pretende convertir la generación hidroeléctrica en un polo de desarrollo para todo el municipio, mucho más allá de la zona de influencia directa. A continuación, algunos de los proyectos que se desarrollan actualmente: •

Turismo Comunitario: Se busca generar fuentes alternas de ingreso para las comunidades, especialmente a través del turismo ya que las condiciones naturales y la cultura de la zona son atractivos importantes para locales y extranjeros y que pueden apoyar la activación económia de San Pedro Carchá. Proyectos como la creación del Santuario del Quetzal y el apoyo a la gestión y mejora del parque Semuc Champey son de las iniciativas más importantes.

•

Centro de Comercio: Busca conectar comercialmente a las comunidades con el resto del municipio y otros departamentos, a través de la apertura de mercados locales que conviertan a la región en un centro importante de intercambio comercial.

•

Participación activa de la sociedad civil: Con esta iniciativa se espera fortalecer y promover la participación ciudadana y comunitaria en la toma de decisiones en el ámbito municipal y nacional. No pueden desarrollarse condiciones apropiadas para el desarrollo económico si los actores principales no participan y se comprometen con el desarrollo de su municipio. En esta iniciativa FUNDESA brinda un apoyo fundamental por medio de la creación y mantenimiento de la mesa de competitividad para la región.

23 •

Conservación y desarrollo de cuencas CAB (Cultivando Agua Buena): Renace es el primer proyecto hidroeléctrico, fuera de Brasil, en adherirse al programa Cultivando Agua Buena, impulsado por la hidroeléctrica Itahipú Binacional, la hidroeléctrica con mayor generación a nivel mundial, el cual busca promover la conservación de las cuencas de los ríos y el goce y disfrute de agua limpia y saludable para todos, a través del desarrollo económico de las comunidades. Este programa representa un esfuerzo importante y coordinado entre instituciones del gobierno nacional, gobierno local, sociedad civil, empresarios y comunidades para lograr este objetivo. Renace es el promotor y articulador de este esfuerzo para la cuenca alta del Río Cahabón y sus afluentes.

•

Electrificación rural: Incluye dos procesos, por una parte el acompañamiento que Renace da a las comunidades para que ellas mismas gestionen la cobertura eléctrica ante las empresas distribuidoras de electricidad y de acuerdo al marco legal vigente y el segundo proceso consiste en facilitar opciones de financiamiento para que las familias puedan adquirir paneles solares para autoabastecimiento y con ello reducir el costo del suministro.

•

Encadenamientos Productivos: Este proyecto incluye varias iniciativas de capacitación, formación y promoción del emprendedurismo a nivel local y busca facilitar las condiciones materiales y de gestión que den como resultado el desarrollo de actividades económicas sostenibles para las familias en la zona, incluye iniciativas tales como: la fabricación y comercialización de artesanías, la siembra de productos de alto valor agregado (pimienta negra y cardamomo), entre otras.

•

Caminos de acceso: Renace ha sido artífice de la construcción y mantenimiento hasta la fecha de 90 km de caminos internos, algunos de ellos necesarios para la construcción del complejo hidroeléctrico, otros necesarios para la conexión y comunicación de las comunidades. La construcción de caminos es un habilitador básico y necesario para el desarrollo económico de cualquier comunidad y esta no es la excepción. Con dicha construcción y mantenimiento de caminos no solo se hace viable el comercio, también se generan fuentes de trabajo permanente para las comunidades.

•

Tecnificación a nivel Municipal: En conjunto con el INTECAP, Renace está promoviendo la construcción de un instituto de formación técnica en el municipio de San Pedro Carchá, que permita la capacitación técnica y profesional de los jóvenes Carchenses, mano de obra indispensable para atender la demanda de nuevos servicios y de empresas comerciales e industriales que se lleguen a instalar a la región.

•

Industrialización y presentación de servicios: Una vez alcanzado el nivel suficiente de desarrollo humano en la zona, la intención de Renace es persuadir a empresas de servicios y de la industria para que se instalen en el municipio y con ello ofrecer fuentes de trabajo a los pobladores, crear clústers alrededor de dichas industrias y con ello alcanzar la masa crítica que permita el despegue de la actividad económica auto sostenible en el municipio.

129

NUESTRO GRAN SUEÑO 130

Si fuera un sueño como muchos otros estaríamos pensando en satisfacer las demandas de las comunidades de corto plazo y contribuir a mejorar marginalmente sus condiciones de vida. No, nuestro sueño es de lo grandes, esos que plantean retos y esfuerzos de largo alcance, de metas que solo se puedan medir en décadas. Nuestro gran sueño tiene alas, como las del quetzal, que levantará el vuelo y en diez años, cuando volteemos a ver hacia atrás, miraremos nuestro legado como ciudadanos responsables en unas comunidades, que de otra forma seguirían hundidas en el olvido, queremos demostrar al mundo que para soñar y lograr que nuestros sueños se hagan realidad solo se requiere coraje y un equipo de personas comprometidas y dispuestas a cambiar la realidad, a dar lo mejor de sí mismos en beneficio de los otros. Nuestro gran sueño será ver comunidades con líderes auténticos que lleven en hombros a sus hijos, con seguridad, con felicidad, sabiendo que hay un mejor futuro para todos. Estamos trabajando para que dentro de algunos años no hablemos de pobreza y de falta de oportunidades, para que en lugar de caminos de tierra veamos calzadas en donde, a paso firme, caminarán hombres y mujeres, con la frente en alto, con dignidad, niños saludables, familias prósperas y comunidades realizadas, te invitamos a que te unas y sueñes con nosotros un mejor país.

131

Annex 2

Edict Renace II Phases I Project Published on October 21, 2012 in Spanish and Qéqchi´in Siglo 21

132

Annex 2

Edict Renace II Phases II Project Published on November 2, 2012 in Spanish and Qéqchi´in Siglo 21

133

Annex 2

Edict Renace IV Published on September 25, 2014 in Spanish and Qéqchi´in Siglo 21

134

Annex 3

Audit Meeting of Campsite Renace Meeting of Preliminary Findings Renace Meeting of Preliminary Findings Reservoir Meeting of Preliminary Findings Renace II Environmental License Renace I Environmental License Renace II phase I Environmental License Renace II phase II Environmental License Renace IV Environmental License Renace IV roads

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

Annex 4 Communitarian Authorization Meeting of Widening of Roads

146

147

148

Annex 5 Payment of Sole Tax of Real Estate Property (IUSI) updated on July 2016 Renace I

149

150

Annex 5 Payment of Sole Tax of Real Estate Property (IUSI) updated on July 2016 Renace II

151

152

Annex 6 Purchase Agreement of Real Estate Property

153

154

155

156

157

158

Annex 7 Payroll of teachers from the school

159

160

Annex 8 Social Project Agreement Xicacao

161

162

163

164

165

Annex 9 Claim of neighbors against COCODE of Panzamala

166

167

Annex 10 Meeting from the activist Carlos Vicente from Grupo Ceiba

168

169

170

171

Annex 11 Meeting from the visit of the investigators of MINGOB

172

173

174

Annex 12 Communitarian Meeting of Visit PDH

175

176

Annex 13 Report from PDH regarding the case of the sisters Tzalam

177

178

179

180

181

Annex 14 Construction Agreement of the Hydroelectric Project Renace IV

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

Annex 15 Report IPS

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

211

212

213

214

215

216

217

218

219