Ramiro Choc is a

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

Mayan Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...

( Q'eqchi') peasant leader. He was born in extreme poverty in a plantation within the municipality of

El Estor El Estor is a town, with a population of 20,489 (2018 census), and a municipality in the Izabal department of Guatemala. The population of El Estor consists largely of Q’eqchi’ speaking indigenous people. History Before roads and railroads ...

, Izabal Department. Died: 23 May 2022. His parents had been born

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. At age 17 he became a catechist for the Catholic Church where he taught a liberation theology in which people should not only have justice after death in heaven but also during life on earth. This brought him great support among the peasant population but not among all of the church hierarchy. After nearly thirteen years as a catechist, the gap between Choc's liberation theology and the conservative doctrine of many of his superiors became too large. Choc was hired by the National Indigenous and Peasant Coordinating Committee (CONIC) as a "promoter", working primarily with indigenous communities involved in land struggles. With CONIC, Choc earned a reputation for his firm defense of the rights of indigenous communities. After approximately seven years, he left CONIC and helped form a new organization, Encuentro Campesino (Peasant Encounter/Gathering). Choc continued helping indigenous Q'eqchi' communities reclaim their rights, especially through Encuentro Campesino. Choc didn't only work with Q'eqchi' communities but also with

Ladino Ladino, derived from Latin, may refer to: * The register of Judaeo-Spanish used in the translation of religious texts, such as the Ferrara Bible *Ladino people, a socio-ethnic category of Mestizo or Hispanicized people in Central America especi ...

(of Spanish or mixed descent) and

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(of African descent) peasants. On February 14, 2008, Choc was illegally abducted by the military and threatened with assassination. Due to local and international outcry and mobilization, his life was spared and he was instead charged with

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robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

, and holding people against their will. He was convicted despite a complete lack of evidence against him. On 21 February, supporters of Choc took 19 policemen hostage, demanding his release. After more than 24 hours the hostages were released unharmed. On 14 March, the same group took four Belgian

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and their two Guatemalan guides hostage, again demanding Choc's release. The Belgians were released on 16 March. Despite the fact that Choc was eligible for release in 2011, he continued to be held in prison until his release in October 2013.

References

External links

Coordinadora Nacional Indígena y Campesina
Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Izabal Department Guatemalan activists Guatemalan Maya people Indigenous activists of the Americas {{guatemala-bio-stub