A piece in the Guatemala Times by Ingrid Nanne presents an interesting reflection on the trial of Ríos Montt. The racism that provided the space and motive for the brutality meted out to the indigenous since the Spanish first arrived… Read More ›
Justice
A chance at justice in Guatemala
The news that Efraín Ríos Montt was to stand trial on charges of genocide was widely greeted. Kirsten Weld, in the New York Times, in recognising the bravery of the Guatemalan judge stated, “In greenlighting a public trial for the… Read More ›
Ríos Montt, Guatemala’s ex-dictator, to stand trial on genocide
Great news in from Guatemala today – this from Associated Press. “A former U.S.-backed dictator who presided over one of the bloodiest periods of Guatemala’s civil war will stand trial on charges he ordered the murder, torture and displacement of… Read More ›
Guatemala: Impunity, or Justice for Crimes of the Past?
In 2012, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned the Guatemalan state in three cases: the 1982 Río Negro massacres, the 1984 forced disappearance of union and student activist Fernando García, and 28 disappearances between 1983-1985 documented in the military… Read More ›
Totonicapán rising – Letter to the President
We gave a short explanation of the 48 Cantons of Totonicapán previously which you can read <a href=http://gsntest.jocote.org/uncategorized/totonicap%c3%a1n-rising/'iche Maya that has endured for hundreds of years, coordinating the indigenous mayorships of 48 communities, exercising self-governance in matters including environmental management… Read More ›
Guatemala: Peaceful Resistance in the Face of Violence
We have featured the struggles in the communities of San Pedro Ayampuc and San José del Golfo before <a href=http://gsntest.jocote.org/uncategorized/third-month-of-resistance-against-a-radius-gold-owned-mine-in-guatemala/"Yoli" Oquelí, here. News that the communities had been awarded the Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender Award also reached us and… Read More ›
Totonicapán action
Regarding the massacre at Totonicapán, if people want to take action you can use the attached letter (click on ‘read more’ below) or sign up to the AVAAZ petition here.
Indigenous protesters killed in Totonicapán
Renata Avila writes on the Global Voices site that, “at least 7 civilians were killed, up to 32 were injured, and 35 were intoxicated on October 4, 2012, when combined armed forces violently removed demonstrators from Cuatro Caminos (”four roads”),… Read More ›
Q&A: Guatemala’s Bold Attorney General Makes a Dent in Impunity
“Since Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey became attorney general in Guatemala in 2010, a string of crimes involving military personnel who fought leftwing guerrillas, drug traffickers and organised crime have been cleared up. The mild manner of this 46-year-old doctor… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Adolfo Ich Chamán
James Rodríguez of MiMundo has put together this special multimedia entry commemorating the third anniversary of the murder of Adolfo Ich Chamán, Q’eqchi’ Mayan schoolteacher, recognised anti-mining leader, and land tenure activist from El Estor, Guatemala. Mr. Ich Chamán was… Read More ›