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GHRC – Recent Developments in Justice and Human Rights

By kevodell on October 10, 2025 • ( 0 )

A recent update from Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) on justice and human rights contained information on the following:

At UN President Arévalo Points to Progress & Admits Challenges
At a recent speech before the UN General Assembly, President Bernardo Arévalo stated that Guatemala was “returning to the path of democratic recovery,” but he acknowledged that the results his administration has achieved have not gone far enough.

US Designates Barrio 18 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
On September 11, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated the Barrio 18 gang as a foreign terrorist organization. Barrio 18, Secretary Rubio wrote in a statement, “is one of the largest gangs in our hemisphere and has conducted attacks against security personnel, public officials, and civilians in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.” Barrio 18 joins Mara Salvatrucha, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and a number of Mexican cartels in holding the foreign terrorist organization designation.

UN Experts Call for Clarification of Charges Against Indigenous Leaders
As Luis Pacheco and Héctor Chaclán, former Indigenous leaders of the 48 Cantones de Totonicapán, completed more than four months in pretrial detention, the United Nations through its Special Procedures Mechanism expressed concern about the criminalization of community leaders and called on the Guatemalan government to provide information about the two men’s detention.

Former Prosecutor Paola Pimentel Acquitted
On September 17, former prosecutor Paola Pimentel was acquitted of charges that she had improperly shared confidential information with an attorney in a case involving the manipulation of justice. The acquittal of marks the fourth acquittal of former prosecutors who have faced spurious charges.

You can read more, including links, here, Recent Developments in Justice and Human Rights.