Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala
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Take Action!
2007 has begun with a series of alarming attacks against Guatemalan human rights organizations. Send an email to the Guatemalan government today. more >>> | |
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Did You Know?
> Guatemala has the most unequal land distribution in the Western Hemisphere, with large landholders who comprise only 2% of the population possessing 70% of the productive lands. > Attacks against human rights defenders in Guatemala increased between 2004 and 2005. In 2005, El Movimiento Nacional por los Derechos Humanos documented 224 attacks against human rights defenders, in comparison with 122 attacks in 2004. > On March 30, 2006, the 11th anniversary of the signing of the indigenous accord, tens of thousands of workers, farmers and indigenous people marched in Guatemala City to demand the strengthening of indigenous rights, restriction of open pit mining licenses, and funds for the Ministry of Agriculture to purchase land for redistribution. | |
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printer-friendlyUrgent Action Alerts
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Online Alerts:
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The last several years have seen a series of alarming attacks against the staff and offices of several Guatemalan organizations working against impunity. It's time to pressure the Guatemalan government to protect human rights defenders.
The war survivors’ organization Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) presented their two cases in 2000 and 2001 against the military high commands of Romeo Lucas García and Efraín Ríos Montt, respectively. Six years later, the cases remain at a standstill in the investigative phase due to the constant switching of prosecutors assigned to the matter. Send a letter to the Guatemalan Attorney General asking him to ensure the cases advance.
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Other Key Action Alerts:
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Guillermo Chen heads the New Hope Foundation in Rio Negro, Rabinal, an
organization that campaigns for justice for crimes committed during Guatemala
The Guatemalan army recently made a series of visits to the community of Ilom in a supposed recruitment effort that had the effect of instilling fear. Ilom's inhabitants are involved in political and social organizing around the genocide case and mega-development projects. Please write letters to the Defense Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior to let them know you are monitoring the case!
In the early morning
hours of Sunday September 23, Marco Tulio Portela
Ramirez prepared to go to work at a banana plantation in Izabal,
Guatemala. He never made it to work. He was gunned down in front of his
house by armed masked men. Marco was the secretary of culture
and sport at SITRABI, the union for banana workers in
Izabal. SITRABI is the oldest union in Guatemala and arguably
one of the
strongest and has experienced intimidation in the past. Stand
with SITRABI to stop the violence
and intimidation of union leaders. Since September 2006, ECAP has been subject to acts of
violence and
aggression apparently related to its work with AJR members who are
survivors of the massacre in Plan de Sánchez, in the municipality of
Rabinal in Alta Verapaz, as well as the advances in the
Spanish genocide case, namely the issuing of international arrest
warrants. Tell President Berger to offer protection to ECAP workers
today.
The Guatemalan army recently made a series of visits to the community of Ilom in a supposed recruitment effort that had the effect of instilling fear. Ilom's inhabitants are involved in political and social organizing around the genocide case and mega-development projects. Please write letters to the Defense Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior to let them know you are monitoring the case!
- Past Action Alerts - please click here
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