She walked barefoot, leaving footprints of human blood outside the Constitutional Court. She underwent surgery to reconstruct her hymen and become a virgin again. She had a doctor injected her in the mouth with anesthesia as she attempted to read… Read More ›
Gender
Pregnant and trapped: Guatemala’s child sex abuse crisis
In late 2022, Anja Popp presented an episode of Unreported World which looked at teen pregnancies among Indigenous Maya as a result of rape and sexual assault. There is a silent crisis of abuse and child pregnancies robbing a generation… Read More ›
This is how survivors and victims’ families experienced the “bittersweet” ruling in the Hogar Seguro case
María José Longo Bautista has written on the website of Agencia Ocote a piece on the reaction of friends and relatives, of the victims, to the verdicts handed down in the Hogar Seguro case. The Agencia Ocote website hosts a… Read More ›
Six former officials convicted in Guatemala for the deaths of 41 minors in a fire
The teenagers were being held in a state-run home in 2017. The court orders an investigation into former president Jimmy Morales. Sofía Menchú writes in El País América on the outcome of the trial against state functionaries with regard to… Read More ›
New York Times: The 36 Maya Achí Women who fought back
The New York Times recently presented an interactive photo-essay on the 36 Maya Achí women and their struggle to access justice for the human rights violations the women suffered during Guatemala’s Internal Armed Conflict. . The piece containing photographs and… Read More ›
BTS – 2024 Year in Review
The Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) recently published their annual review for 2024. The report not only celebrates their accomplishments over the last year, it also recognizes the incredible contributions of their partners, staff, cooperants, interns, volunteers, and donors!… Read More ›
Indigenous Women Survivors of Guatemala’s Rape Camps Seek Justice
Forty years after surviving state violence, Maya Achi women return to court to demand justice, challenging a long legacy of impunity for crimes against humanity. Jo-Marie Burt, Paulo Estrada and Keily Colíndres write in NACLA Report about the long struggle… Read More ›
Defence of Human Rights is sustained despite Cooptation of the Justice System
The Guatemalan Human Rights Defenders Protection Unit (UDEFEGUA) presented its 2024 Report on the Situation of Individuals, Organisations, and Communities Defending Human Rights, entitled “Impact of the Co-optation of the Justice System on the Defence of Human Rights.” It provides… Read More ›
Fighting Corruption – Virginia Laparra awarded the Sir Henry Brooke award
In a significant acknowledgment of her relentless fight against corruption under perilous conditions, Virginia Laparra Rivas, a former prosecutor in Guatemala, was honoured with the prestigious Sir Henry Brooke Award for 2025. The ceremony, organized by the Alliance for Lawyers… Read More ›
The Forgotten Midwives of Chiquimula
Víctor Peña presents a photo-reportage, in El Faro, on the malnutrition crisis affecting Guatemala and, more particularly, the department of Chiquimula. Brenda and her three children walk through the mountains to the community kitchen. Chon climbs a hill carrying a… Read More ›