In 1982, over 400 Maya Achí men, women, and children were murdered for opposing a hydroelectric dam under construction on the Chixoy River. The next year, the completed Chixoy dam flooded more than 30 Maya Achí communities. In 2014, the… Read More ›
Indigenous peoples
International Women’s Day – the struggle goes on
For International Women’s Day, Plaza Pública had a short photo-piece from Simone Dalmasso which had some lovely photos. You can view them here.
Sepur Zarco: ‘I am here seeking justice’
There is really nothing to add here. From Plaza Pública.
Beneath the shawls, justice is served
The women raise their hands on hearing the verdict (Sandra Sebastián) “The Guatemalan justice system has said it was not a lie. Sexual violence within the Sepur Zarco military outpost was real. More than ten women had to wait 34… Read More ›
Reactions to Historic Sepur Zarco Judgment
On February 26, 2016, High Risk “A” Tribunal in Guatemala convicted military officers Esteelmer Reyes Girón and Heriberto Valdez Asig of sexual violence and domestic and sexual slavery against 15 Maya Q’eqchi’ women, as well as several counts of homicide… Read More ›
Sepur Zarco – Guilty Verdict
Women survivors of Sepur Zarco stand and raise their hands in acknowledgement of the guilty verdict and sentence. Photo: EPA (NISGUA) The 26th February marked an historic day for both Guatemala and the world in the struggle to seek justice… Read More ›
Sepur Zarco: Landmark Sexual Violence Case in Guatemala
Image from the Sepur Zarco trial taken by Nelton Rivera On Monday, February 1, the landmark Sepur Zarco trial opened in Guatemala City before High-Risk Court A. It is first time that a case of sexual violence related to Guatemala’s… Read More ›
Guatemalan Court Upholds Ruling on Ecocide
Polly Higgins writes in the blog, ‘Eradicating Ecocide‘, about the recent court case in Guatemala where the African palm oil corporation, Empresa Reforestadora de Palma de Petén SA (REPSA), lost their appeal against the first ruling of its kind. The… Read More ›
Arrests suggest crimes of the past will not be forgotten
Further to this recent post on this blog, the Guatemala Trials website speaks of the arrest of 18 former military officers in relation to crimes committed during Guatemala’s 36-year conflict. According to Sophie Beaudoin, here, “the dramatic arrests came as… Read More ›
New report on the right to food and human rights defenders in Guatemala
A coalition six of international organisations have published a new report on the Right to Adequate Food (RtAR) and the situation of human rights defenders in Guatemala. The report, published in October, followed a third international mission to Guatemala, carried… Read More ›
Guatemala Solidarity Network 