February 13,2024 commemorates the 42nd anniversary of the forced disappearance of Emil Bustamante, a university social leader. His families, friends and organized collectives gathered to march to the Matamoros military headquarters, where he was last seen alive in 1982. “This terrible ignominy was not 42 February (years) ago, it was today and will always be today”, “they have not managed to defeat us because that is why we are here, maybe we are few, but we are the ones who have to be, those who believe in the importance of life, of truth, of peace” said his families in front of the military headquarters. 

A member of a collective of families of people who disappeared during the Internal Armed Conflict added: “As survivors and families of victims who disappeared during the Internal Armed Conflict, it is important to walk hand in hand demanding the clarification of the truth about the perpetrators and the location of their bodies. There are 45 thousand families who suffer and live daily the torment of forced disappearance, like the family of Emil Bustamante, the absence of our loved ones, the absence of our mothers and fathers, grandparents, uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters is endless and continues to affect the daily lives of those who survive in this country, because it means walking day after day wondering, where are they?”

From NISGUA, we join in solidarity with the survivors, family members, collectives and organizations that accompany them in the search for truth and justice for their loved ones, comrades in struggle and defenders of life, who fought for a different Guatemala, a Guatemala with social justice, against the military dictatorship that defended capitalist interests and those who committed genocide and repression against Indigenous People, leaders of urban organizations, students, unionists, such as Emil Bustamante, who was detained  and forcibly disappeared for thinking differently.

[ESP] En medio de una calle pública, caminan personas en una marcha, la fotografía está tomada de espalda a ellos, se distinguen mantas y flores alzadas. [ESP] In the middle of a public street, people are walking in a march.
[ESP] En frente de un cuartel militar, una pared color gris, letras blancas que dicen: "guardia presidencial" abajo un escudo triangular de colores blanco y celeste, al frente una tanqueta rodeada de flores blancas y una manta blanca con el rostro en blanco y negro de una persona socializada hombre. [ENG] In front of a military barracks, a gray wall, white letters that say: "presidential guard" below a triangular shield of white and light blue colors, in front a tankette surrounded by white flowers and a white banner with a black and white face of a socialized man.
[ESP] En la entrada de un cuartel militar en medio de rejas azules se han colocado dos mantas con fotos y frases sobre Emil Bustamante, una manta es de color verde y otra es de color blanco. [ENG] At the front of a military barracks, in the middle of blue bars, two blankets have been placed with photos and phrases about Emil Bustamante, one blanket is green and the other is white.
[ESP] En el frente de un cuartel militar, junto a la parte de enfrente de una tanqueta, se han dejado flores de muchos colores y blancas. [ENG] In front of a military barracks, next to the front of a tankette, flowers of many colors and white have been left.
[ESP] En medio de una multitud, una persona sostiene de la parte de atrás una manta blanco con el rostro de una persona socializada hombre en blanco y negro y bajo de estas letras ilegibles. [ENG] In the middle of a crowd, a person holds from the back a white blanket with the face of a socialized man in black and white and under these illegible letters.
[ESP] Sobre la parte de enfrente de una tanqueta militar se colocó un circulo de flores color blanco y bajo a este una manta con el rostro de una persona socializada hombre en blanco y negro y por detrás letras multicolores con el nombre Emil en mayúsculas. [ENG] On the front of a military tank a circle of white flowers was placed and under it a blanket with the face of a socialized male person in black and white and behind it multicolored letters with the name Emil in capital letters.
[ESP] sobre una pared color gris, una calcomanía del rostro de una persona socializada masculina, en el fondo multicolores el nombre Emil en mayúsculas. [ENG] On a gray wall, a sticker of the face of a socialized male person, in the multicolored background the name Emil in capital letters.
[ESP] En un espacio abierto con el cielo azul de fondo, una manta blanca con el rostro de una persona socializada como hombre en blanco y negro, debajo letras en color negro ilegible, la manta es sostenida por una persona por detrás. [ENG] In an open space with blue sky in the background, a white blanket with the face of a person socialized as a man in black and white, underneath letters in illegible black, the blanket is held by a person from behind.

📸 Photographs by: NISGUA. During the march to Matamoros military base, zone 1 of Guatemala City, called in commemoration of the 42nd anniversary of the forced disappearance of Emil Bustamante. February 13, 2024.