Sanne Weber and Marlies Stappers recently wrote in Open Democracy about the ongoing challenges facing the rule of law and the protection of human rights from the corrupt elites. This year, which marks the 25th anniversary of the peace accords… Read More ›
Criminalisation
Guatemala’s Government Is Defying Biden’s Anti-Corruption Efforts
Jeff Abbott writes a column in The Progressive, The Other Americans, and this is from his latest piece. The Guatemalan government, helmed by President Alejandro Giammattei, continues to impede the country’s institutions meant to combat official corruption. While these attempts… Read More ›
Accompaniment updates from PBI Guatemala
PBI Canada recently posted a couple of pieces from PBI Guatemala highlighting the vital accompaniment work that they do. PBI Guatemala accompanied the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (el Comité Campesino del Altiplano – CCDA) at a Mayan ceremony for… Read More ›
Assault on Guatemala’s Justice System Intensifies With Expulsion of Anti-Corruption Prosecutor
Julia Aikman Cifuentes and Adriana Beltrán write, in WOLA, about the recent sacking of Juan Francisco Sandoval, the wave of protests in response, and the criminalisation of members of the judiciary. They also talk of the massive corruption of the… Read More ›
#ParoPlurinacional: National Strike in Guatemala
Andrea Ixchíu Hernández, a Maya K’iche’ woman, journalist, land protector, and human rights activist, recently spoke to Gio B’atz’, on the Red Nation podcast, about the demands of Indigenous communities such as calls for a plurinational government, among other topics…. Read More ›
Children’s home fire: ‘The souls of our daughters are still there’
Mira Galanova writes, on the BBC, about the fire that took place in the care home, Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción, on March 8th 2017, and the stories of those left behind. There were 41 deaths of young women… Read More ›
Is this Guatemala’s Plurinational Moment?
Tim May writes in New Socialist about the recent demonstrations in Guatemala, including the recent Paro nacional and places the moment within a period of increasing grass-roots mobilisation. Indigenous authorities are increasingly finding their voice within national politics but still… Read More ›
“Fear has made me braver and that’s why I want to keep fighting”
ACOGUATE has published a piece about the struggle of the people of Ixquisis Microregion against the imposition of large megaprojects, through the words of María Hernández, a human rights defender. For the past three years, María Hernández has represented women… Read More ›
Guatemalan Communities Turn Out for Indigenous-Led Nationwide Shutdown
Sandra Cuffe writes in The Intercept about the national strike that took place on 29th July in response to the events surrounding the sacking of Juan Francisco Sandoval and his flight out of Guatemala. The ‘Paro Nacional’ was called by… Read More ›
UN Human Rights – Stop treating indigenous human rights defenders like criminals
United Nations human rights experts have expressed concerns over the criminalisation, violations of due process, and health rights of Bernardo Caal Xól, a Q’eqchi’ Maya Indigenous leader and Guatemalan human rights defender. “Mr. Bernardo Caal Xól has been criminalised because… Read More ›