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 ›
Genocide
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
August 30th is the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. We remember the estimated 45,000 people who were disappeared, according to the United Nations–sponsored Truth Clarification Commission (CEH), during the internal armed conflict (1960-1996) that took place in… 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 ›
#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 ›
Delia’s Return
On American Anthropologist, Lauren Heidbrink, her daughter Gabriela Afable, and Delia (not her real name), present a multimodal representation chronicling the detention and deportation of Delia, an Indigenous youth from San Marcos, who migrated to the United States. Delia’s experiences… 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 ›
Despite Protests, Guatemala’s President May Be Stronger than Ever
Brendan O’Boyle writes in Americas Quarterly on how President Giammattei is, so far, able to hold off calls for resignation despite his attacks on the independence of the judiciary and his government’s catastrophic and grossly negligent response to the pandemic…. Read More ›
“It’s Hard to Find an Honest Judge in Guatemala Now”
Ahead of the news of the sacking of Juan Francisco Sandoval, the head of FECI, at the weekend, El Faro published an interview with leading Guatemalan human rights advocate, Helen Mack. Alongside Sandoval, Gloria Porras, Érika Aifán, and Jordán Rodas,… Read More ›
When Justice Prevails
In the latest newsletter, from Skylight, Pamela Yates features an interview with Kate Doyle of the National Security Archive (NSA). A powerful recent example [of justice cascade] comes from Guatemala, a small country yet one where human rights defenders have… Read More ›
Amnesty for War Crimes is Back on the Table
In the midst of attempts to block justice being carried out either with regard to corruption or historical crimes, particular powers are attempting to introduce, into law, amnesty for crimes against humanity and genocide. Jeff Abbott writes in The Progressive… Read More ›