Author Archives
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Guatemalan Women Fought for Democracy. Now They Have to Make It Work for Them.
Laura Carlsen writes in Z about the mobilisation of Indigenous people in defence of democracy, and the role of Indigenous women within that struggle. After the election of Bernardo Arévalo, the corrupt elites tried to turn back the clock and… Read More ›
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Arrests Shed Light on Abuse of Women in Guatemala’s Prisons
“The problem that we have is a penitentiary system that’s out of control, in which many of the guards are involved” Lara Loaiza writes in InSightCrime on the situation of women within the Guatemala carceral system. Corruption and criminality are… Read More ›
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Ex-Guatemala police chief convicted by Swiss court of prisoner murders – ‘legacy of the dirty war in Guatemala’
SWI swissinfo.ch has run a couple of pieces relating to the trial and subsequent sentencing of former Guatemala police chief, Erwin Sperisen, to 14 years in prison after being found guilty by a Geneva court of aiding and abetting the… Read More ›
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“Arévalo’s every action faces prosecutors’ arbitrary scrutiny”
“Consuelo Porras uses fear, threats and harassment to pursue an anti-democratic agenda. No one is cornered here. If anything, I believe that the MP, with its own actions, demonstrates its desperation and cornering.” Yuliana Ramazzini writes in El Faro English… Read More ›
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In defense of Atitlán Lake
María Guarchaj and Teresa Gonón write in Ojalá about the challenges facing communities that live by, and depend on, Lago Atitlán. While it is true that the lake has been suffering from environmental degradation, attempts to profit from technical responses… Read More ›
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Attacks on Guatemala’s Anti-Corruption President Growing
Rights Action have reposted a piece by Alex Papadovassilakis that was originally published in InSight Crime. The piece presents a further view on the corruption of the Guatemalan judiciary, starting at the very top, and how it continues to hamper… Read More ›
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Inexperience, Lawfare, and Online Image Sway Arévalo’s Decisions
After almost nine months in office, Bernardo Arévalo’s decisions regarding his cabinet have shown that they did not really expect to govern. Yuliana Ramazzini writes in El Faro English on the difficulties that the government of Bernardo Arévalo continues to… Read More ›
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GHRC: July Update
The July Update from the Guatemala Human Rights Commisison (GHRC) was recently shared. In hopeful news, Indigenous land rights activist Lolita Chávez has returned to her home in the K’iche after seven years of exile. In 2017, she suffered an… Read More ›
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Honouring Indigenous resistance in Totonicapán: interview with Maya K’iché exile Lucía Ixchíu
Linda Etchart, for Latin America Bureau, interviewed environment defender Lucía Ixchíu, of the K´iché Maya of Totonicapán, a community famous for its ‘48 Cantons’ resistance movement. Totonicapán was the second most important city of the K’iché and the headquarters of… Read More ›
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Consuelo Porras Stokes Political Turmoil Amid Guatemalan Court Elections
Álvaro Montenegro writes in El Faro English about the extraordinary situation in Guatemala regarding the machinations of the Attorney General in seeking, effectively, to criminalise the President Bernardo Arévalo. He, on the other hand, is trying to have her removed… Read More ›
Guatemala Solidarity Network 