“The miracle of my life is that out of unspeakable horror came a new mission in life.” Maria Martin writes in Religion Unplugged, a remembrance of Sister Dianna Ortiz, who passed away in February 2021. Sister Diana was a remarkable woman… Read More ›
Guatemala
A Country At War Against Its Women
Cristina Chiquín writes in Quorum about the ongoing violence, and femicide, being waged against Guatemala’s women and girls, the links to the past, and the State’s absence in taking responsibility. It is a disturbing piece, as you might expect, and… Read More ›
Audio – International court case pits mining interests against Indigenous land rights
Maria Martin hosts a short piece on NPR Radio on a court case being brought to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights by the Maya Q’eqchi’ community of Agua Caliente Lote 9. She speaks with attorney Carlos Pop, representing the… Read More ›
This judge is one of the last U.S. allies in the Guatemala corruption fight. Politicians keep trying to sideline her.
Kevin Sieff writes in The Washington Post on the challenges facing an independent judiciary in Guatemala through the situation of Judge Erika Aifán and the ongoing State attempts at criminalisation. Her bravery is unquestioned and neither is the cowardice of… Read More ›
“Malnutrition in Guatemala is a political strategy”.
Noor Mahtani writes in El País, as part of their Planeta Futuro series, about the scourge of hunger among Indigenous children and the Government’s unwillingness to do anything that might change the future prospects of poor Guatemalans. Any errors in… Read More ›
Imperfect Justice Is Still Justice for Wartime Rape Survivors in Guatemala
Jo-Marie Burt and Paulo Estrada write, in El Faro, on the recent verdicts in the Achí Women Case and what justice means for the surviving victims – perhaps justice but not closure. The piece describes disturbing examples of gendered violence… Read More ›
Witness Accuses Guatemalan President of Funding Campaign with Construction Bribes
José Luis Sanz writes in El Faro about the sworn testimonies regarding bribery and campaign contributions relating to the election of President Alejandro Giammattei, and the attempts by the Attorney General’s office to put a brake to the investigations. It… Read More ›
10th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: challenges for their implementation in Guatemala
“The person who defends Mother Earth is unjustly accused and condemned, without evidence“ PBI-Guatemala recently published a feature on the challenges of implementing, in Guatemala, the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which were endorsed by the United Nations… Read More ›
The Origins of Racism in Guatemala — An Interview with Marta Elena Casaús Arzú on Anti-Indigenous Racism
Plaza Pública published an interview with Marta Elena Casaús Arzú in 2017 by Carlos Arrazola and the subsequent English translation was published in El Faro. It is a fascinating interview on race and racism in Guatemala. Marta Elena Casaús Arzú… Read More ›
Indigenous community takes Guatemalan land rights fight to international court
Sandra Cuffe write in Mongabay about a community in north east Guatemala, Agua Caliente Lote 9, which is taking a case, against the Guatemala State, to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The case relates to land rights and, if… Read More ›
Guatemala Solidarity Network 