Solidarity Update: April 2017
Photo credit: Roderico Díaz. News recap: Honoring the life of Miguel Ramírez Matóm, witness in the Ixil genocide trial; Take action: Denounce impunity for attacks against environmental defenders; Communities in the Ixcán commemorate 10 years since the referendum that said ‘no’ to resource extraction; Announcing our fall tour: "Guatemala youth in defense of land and life"; Join NISGUA in hosting CALDH photo exhibit, "Defending [...]
One Year Later: Berta Lives, COPINH Continues On
On March 2, 2016, Berta Cáceres was assassinated in an attempt to silence her voice, bring an end her important leadership and destroy the political project and struggle of a people acting in defence of their territory. The aim was not only to do away with her, but the organization of which she was a part for over 20 years, [...]
Solidarity Update: March 2017
News recap: The women of Sepur Zarco celebrate one year since the verdict and continue to call for dignified reparations; La Puya celebrates five years of resistance; UC Berkeley students take action in solidarity with victims of the fire at a state-run home for youth. This and more in this month's Solidarity Update.
More than a tragic accident: Guatemalan organizations denounce the fire that killed 40 teenage girls at a state-run home
On International Women’s Day, March 8, a fire was set at a state home for children and youth in Guatemala, immediately killing 19 girls. Since then, at least another 21 have died as a result of their injuries and many more continue to be hospitalized. Survivors have recounted that on March 7, several youth broke out of the Hogar Seguro [...]
Report: Beyond the verdict – The importance of comprehensive reparations for the women of Sepur Zarco
"This experience will be a legacy for new generations, showing that even war has limits. It is a clear message that confirms the commitment that justice and society have to human rights, to promote a much longed-for peace, and allows us as a society to advance, together with the women, in order to affirm their lives and build a more [...]
One year after the emblematic verdict in the Sepur Zarco trial, the struggle for dignified reparations continues
Yesterday marked one year since former members of the Guatemalan military were found guilty for crimes against humanity committed at a military base in the eastern community of Sepur Zarco. At great personal risk, 15 Q’eqchi' women gave preliminary testimonies in 2012 where they documented in detail the violence they survived at the hands of the military in the 1980s. Those [...]