Peace Brigades International UK (PBI-UK) accompanied a group of international lawyers to Guatemala concerned at UN and civil society reports regarding human rights violations associated with agrarian conflict in Alta Verapaz. The International Delegation of Independent Lawyers travelled to Alta… Read More ›
Corruption
The first trial for the genocide of Indigenous Peoples
We received this note from Pamela Yates and Paco de Onís, of Skylight, relating to the genocide trial of Efraín Ríos Montt in 2013, which may be of interest. We wanted to share it. Dear Friend, Ten years ago, General… Read More ›
Exclusion of Presidential Candidates Stains June Guatemalan Elections
Inscription for the June national vote closed this weekend. Electoral authorities, toeing the line of far-right political operatives, have spuriously excluded two presidential duos and are aiming for a third, clearing the way for conservative Zury Rios. Roman Gressier and… Read More ›
José Rubén Zamora’s Trial Judge Expands Probe to Reporters Covering the Case
Roman Gressier and Nelson Rauda, with Julie López, write in El Faro English on the continuing attacks on journalists and the freedom of expression in Guatemala. This is all part of the concerted attack on anti-corruption initiatives being championed by… Read More ›
Virginia Laparra, a Scapegoat in Guatemalan Prison
Álvaro Montenegro wrote in El Faro English about the situation of Virginia Laparra, a former anti-corruption prosecutor, imprisoned for highlighting corruption in the judicial system. On February 23, prosecutor Virginia Laparra completed one year in prison, held alongside military officers,… Read More ›
Disassembling the Death Squad Dossier Case
Jo-Marie Burt and Paulo Estrada wrote in El Faro English on the further dismantling of the independent justice system and its effects on a particularly important historical case. For decades, survivors and the families of the victims of the Death Squad… Read More ›
June 2023 Election Poses Critical Test for Guatemalan Democracy
Dozens of mostly conservative candidates are expected to compete in the June general election as divided elites seek control of a state emptied of its anti-corruption judges and prosecutors. Election lawfare to block candidacies could tip the scales, as it… Read More ›
The ‘Sharpshooter’ Targetting The Leaders Of The Fight Against Corruption In Guatemala
‘The ‘Sharpshooter’ Targetting The Leaders Of The Fight Against Corruption In Guatemala’ is the result of an investigation carried out by Guatemala Leaks and CONNECTAS and published, in this instance, on the website of Agencia Ocote. It tells the story… Read More ›
Anti-corruption prosecutor in Guatemala given 4-year jail term
The International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) have noted the sentencing of Virginia Laparra to a four year jail term, further undermining the fight against corruption in Guatemala, the corruption being carried out by the business and military elites, as… Read More ›
Anti-Mining Networks Support Land Defense Movements in Central America
In Guatemala and Honduras, regional anti-mining networks have become key players in struggles to combat extractivism and the criminalization of activists. Giada Ferrucci and Pedro Cabezas write in NACLA on extractivism and resistance in Central America, focussing on Guatemala and… Read More ›
Guatemala Solidarity Network 