Indigenous women in Guatemala are using the concept of extraterritorial obligations to hold corporations accountable for violence—and to set important precedents in human rights law. Andrea Bolaños Vargas and Andrea Suárez Trueba write an interesting and increasingly relevant article in… Read More ›
Guatemala
Guatemala’s Murderous Leap Backward Is Enabled by Trump
Benoit Pierre Amedee María, known as ‘Benito,’ pictured during a graduation ceremony at the Ixil University. Photo: Giovanni Batz/provided for The Globe Post On August 10, a French development worker was shot to death execution-style in rural Guatemala, one of… Read More ›
Laguna Larga: Evicted families struggle to survive
The Human Rights Ombudsperson’s Office and the law firm (BDH – Bufete de Derechos Humanos) demanded that the Guatemala state fulfilled its obligations under the ruling of the Inter-American Commisison for Human Rights (CIDH) with regard to the 111 families… Read More ›
Three Urgent Policies For Achieving Sustainable Development in Guatemala
Decades ago, debates taking place among international organizations and countries around the globe were delayed in Latin America due to the dizzying implementation of neoliberalism. In Guatemala, these discussions were simply ignored: the country’s leaders faithfully believed in the directives… Read More ›
Appointing Judges in Guatemala…From Prison
Guatemala is in the midst of a contentious legal battle, as networks of corrupt politicians and organized crime are trying to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to attack the country’s courts. They are also disrupting over 100 cases against government officials… Read More ›
Bernardo Caal Xol is a prisoner of conscience – Amnesty International
Amnesty International has just recently declared the Q’eqchi’ Maya Indigenous leader and Guatemalan human rights defender, Bernardo Caal Xol, a prisoner of conscience, for having been wrongly imprisoned for more than two years. He had been defending the rights of… Read More ›
Behind the Fight to Hijack Guatemala’s Justice System
Ensuring impartial, professional, and honest officials in Guatemala’s highest courts is crucial to the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, and advancing the fight against corruption. Adriana Beltrán, of Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), outlines the various levels… Read More ›
A pandemic is not the time for reforming judicial nominations in Guatemala
As is the case in many countries across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has further undermined the rule of law in Guatemala due to the use of emergency measures to limit fundamental freedoms and blur the separation of powers. Simultaneously,… Read More ›
Judge who protected the son of Jimmy Morales will decide the future of Erika Aifán
The Supreme Court of Justice agreed to process a preliminary judgment against Judge Erika Aifán. The complaint was filed by Wilber Castellanos, known to have been in contact with Gustavo Alejos, currently in jail. What does the resolution say? What… Read More ›
A Crucial Moment for Guatemala’s Fight Against Impunity
Adriana Beltrán, of WOLA (Washington Office of Latin America) hosted a discussion with Helen Mack, Harald Waxenecker and Claudia Escobar. Last year at the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities apprehended more undocumented migrants from Guatemala than from any other country. That’s mostly… Read More ›