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 ›
Justice
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 2021 Human Rights Report
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, of the U.S. State Department, recently published its 2021 Human Rights Report for Guatemala and it does not make for comfortable reading. The Executive Summary concludes with: Impunity continued to be widespread…. Read More ›
Guatemala: High Stakes for Attorney General’s Nomination
Human Rights Watch has posted a note regarding the nomination process for the election of the new Attorney General to succeed María Consuelo Porras. HRW has also highlighted the role of The Foundation against Terrorism (FCT) in trying to undermine… Read More ›
Press Release – Concerns About Guatemala’s Attorney General Election Process
Various international organisations recently communicated a Press Release presented their concern over the election process for the new Attorney General to succeed María Consuelo Porras. Given that the incumbent appears to be, again, in the application process appears to suggest… Read More ›
Military Diary Case – updates
The Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) continues to provide regular updates on the Military Diary Case. From the latest, dated April 6th.. During the sixth session of the Intermediary Phase, The Human Rights Prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor’s Office… Read More ›
“Yes to life, no to mining:” An update on the Xinka resistance to the Escobal mine
NISGUA has published an update on the Xinka resistance to the Escobal mine. For over a decade, impacted communities have resisted the illegally-imposed Escobal mine. Tahoe Resources, a U.S.-Canadian company, first opened the mine, which is on one of the… Read More ›
A Guatemalan judge’s flight into exile signals trouble for US
Whitney Eulich writes in The Christian Science Monitor on the situation regarding the exile of Judge Erika Aifán and Washington’s increasing lack of influence in fighting corruption and criminality in Guatemala. One of Guatemala’s most important judges, Erika Aifán, fled… Read More ›
The Hidden Story of a Notorious Guatemalan Nickel Mine
Sandra Cuffe writes in The Intercept about the situation in El Estor and the global investigation that uncovered a multitude of documents highlighting corruption at the very highest level, impacting those that live there. It is a grim tale. Cristóbal… Read More ›