Who is the Campesino Committee of the Highlands?

An organization that fights for access to land and labour rights for Mayan campesinos in Guatemala.

Strategic Objective of the CCDA

To promote the development of campesino communities in Guatemala in order to elevate their standard of living by way of programs and projects that respond to the search for equality of conditions, participation and incidence in social, economic, cultural and political processes and forums in the country with the goal of building a new multiethnic, multicultural and multilingual state and national unity.

History of the CCDA

The CCDA emerged from the Rebel Armed Forces (FAR) during the peak of the civil war, in 1982 in San Martín Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango. The original name was the Campesino Committee in Defence of the Highlands. The perception that the CCDA was another armed group led to the arrest, disappearance, assassination and exile of many of the CCDA directors by the repression of the government against social groups and human rights. For this reason, the CCDA changed its name to the Campesino committee of the Highlands. The CCDA began to work clandestinely until 1988 but were not established legally until 2000 when it succeeded in becoming a legal organization. There are still CCDA members living outside the country.

The Work of the CCDA

The CCDA participates at a regional, departmental, national and international level in defence of access to land and the agricultural situation, labour rights, human rights and the Mayan cultural situation. Through their work, several members receive support with questions of land, credit, educational scholarships, and have the opportunity to participate in various trainings offered by the CCDA and other affiliates.

At the national level, the CCDA forms part of the National Coordination of Campesino Organizations (CNOC). Through this group, campesinos can organize themselves and struggle together to improve their living conditions. That is to say that campesino organizations like the CCDA can collaborate in declaring their discontent with the lack of governmental policies in favour of rural development and call for a better Guatemala that considers the needs of campesinos and indigenous people.

The CCDA is Present in Seven Departments

1. Chimaltenango
2. Huehuetenango
3. San Marcos
4. Sololá
5. Suchitepequez
6. Quiché
7. Escuintla

Four Programs (more information)

1. The Peace Accords and Rural Development
2. Organizational Strengthening
3. Gender
4. Cultural Situation

The Structure of the CCDA

Board of Directors

• The Board of Directors plans and implements workshops, training sessions, protests and daily activities.
• There are seven people in the Board of Directors, better known as 'el equipo' - the team.
  • Leocadio Juracan
  • Gilberto Atz
  • Marcelo Sabuc
  • Pedro Chan
  • José Ajpuac Raxtun
  • Ignacio López
  • Alfonso Ortiz Gómez
• These people work in the CCDA office in Quixaya but are also active in all areas working in the field. They make up the "motor" of the CCDA.
• The members are elected by the Board of Coordinators.

Board of Coordinators

• The Board of Coordinators is made up of 2 members from each of the 7 departments that the CCDA works in.
• That is to say, 2 people from Chimaltenango, Huehuetenango, San Marcos, Solola, Suchitepequez, Quiche and Escuintla.
• The Board of Coordinators meets every 2 months. The members are elected by the General Assembly.

General Assembly

• The General Assembly is the maximum authority of the CCDA and is made up of one or two delegates from each community or affiliated group.