Walter Manfredo Méndez Barrios. Photo courtesy of Defensores de la Naturaleza (Mongabay website) The violent death of an environmental activist and community leader in northern Guatemala two days ago has sparked consternation and concern among communities and organizations working in… Read More ›
Violence
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: 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 ›
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 ›
NGOs condemn Canadian ruling that mining case be heard in Guatemala
Canadian and U.S. organisations condemn judge’s ruling that a lawsuit against Vancouver-based mining company Tahoe Resources must be heard in Guatemala, not Canada. Six plaintiffs allege that security personnel attacked protesters in 2013 with rubber bullets at the Tahoe Resources-owned… Read More ›
UN Report on Central American Women’s Plight to Flee Violence
A new UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report, Women on the Run, reveals why women are fleeing violence in Central America and Mexico and the obstacles they in face in their journey to be safe. Based upon in-depth interviews with 160… Read More ›
Guatemalan activist murdered after court suspends palm oil company operations
A palm oil company remains at the heart of conflict in northern Guatemala, months after a mass fish die-off. A day after company operations were suspended pending further investigation into the incident, three community leaders were abducted and threatened by… Read More ›
Lynchings and the Politics of Inequality
On May 20th, 2015, a sixteen-year-old girl was captured, beaten and, while bystanders watched passively, burned alive. She died. The brutality of the crime assured that, even from a remote corner of the world, international news outlets would run the… Read More ›