Jo-Marie Burt and Paulo Estrada have written a powerful piece in El Faro on the ‘Death Squad Diary’ case (Diario Militar) moving through the Guatemala justice system. It also talks of the bravery of the families of the victims and… Read More ›
Impunity
Judge Galvez and his appointment with History
Carolína Vásquez Araya writes a powerful defense of the Judge, Miguel Ángel Gálvez, in her blog, El Quinto Patio. Miguel Ángel Gálvez is one of the last of the judicial hold outs against corruption and tyranny in Guatemala. You can… Read More ›
Using the Law Against Femicide to Deter Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists has issued an alert on the criminal suit against three journalists under the ‘violence against women’ law. By using this law, to deter journalists from asking questions, is an interesting and novel use of law-fare… Read More ›
Guatemala attorney general’s reappointment raises alarm
Sandra Cuffe writes in Al Jazeera about the re-election (re-appointment?) of Attorney General Consuelo Porras. Guatemala’s controversial attorney general has started a second term, but Maria Consuelo Porras‘ last-minute reappointment this week has sparked widespread condemnation and new sanctions amid… Read More ›
EJ Atlas: Lote Ocho – El Estor, Lake Izabal, Guatemala
After decades of resistance against HudBay minerals and other firms, including court cases in Guatemala and Canada, the local Mayan Q’eqchi’ community managed to stop nickel mining in 2020 officially. The Environmental Justice Atlas is a great resource and it… Read More ›
Amid Impunity Concerns, Guatemalan Courts Advance with War Crimes Cases
Jeff Abbott has written a piece for The Progressive, reflecting on the progress of the Diario Militar (“Death Squad Dossier”) case and its progress through the Guatemalan courts, and which is to reach a conclusion very soon. Mayarí de León… Read More ›
The Exile of Guatemala’s Anti-Corruption Efforts
Jonathan Blitzer writes in The New Yorker on the group of judges and prosecutors who had been investigating Guatemala’s most powerful officials and who had been forced to flee their homeland. It shows the willingness of the State, and the… Read More ›
Trial for “Death Squad Dossier” Ties Guatemalan Wartime Atrocities to Current Criminal Networks
Jo-Marie Burt and Paulo Estrada write in El Faro on the Diario Militar, or ‘Death Squad Dossier’ trial, currently taking place in Guatemala. The trial is continuing against a backdrop of sustained attacks on judicial independence and threats against human… Read More ›
Guatemala’s Attorney General Elections: Judicial Independence and Democracy at a Crossroads
Ana María Méndez Dardón and Julia Aikman Cifuentes write in WOLA on the challenges facing an independent judiciary and the consequences for Guatemala’s commitment to fighting impunity when these are essential components of a democratic state. The persecution of independent… Read More ›
Guatemala: As COVID misinformation spreads, vaccine doses expire
Jeff Abbott writes in Al Jazeera about the low take up of the COVID vaccine in Guatemala, the reasons for this, including conspiracy theorists, and the consequences regarding the expiration of the doses that were available. This is something to… Read More ›