More than 28 years have passed since the massacre of more than 250 men, women, and children in the small farming community of Las Dos Erres, Petén. For 17 years, survivors and family members of victims have struggled to bring the perpetrators to justice, with the support of the [...]
Dear friends, On February 20, 2011, our friend Victor Leiva, artist and founding member of the collective Caja Ludica, was taken from us. Victor was shot to death while leaving his work in the Historical Center of Guatemala City, in circumstances which have not been clarified. We are requesting signatures [...]
Graham HuntOn June 21, 2011, in different activities carried out in Guatemala City, family members of victims, activists and others gathered in honor of the more than 45,000 forcibly disappeared in Guatemala's 36-year civil war, as well as to remember the countless others disappeared in conflicts around the world. [...]
After the arrest and capture of retired general Héctor López Fuentes on Friday, proceedings yesterday officially indicted former Army Chief of Staff for the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and forced disappearance. Representatives of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR), an organization of survivors of genocide, joined their [...]
General López Fuentes waits for his hearing to begin. Graham HuntOn June 20, 2011, retired General Héctor Mario López Fuentes was indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and forced disappearance. As Army Chief of Staff under the de facto regime of General Efraín Ríos Montt, López Fuentes is accused of [...]
Walter Overdick gives his testimony. Graham HuntThe same morning, in the very same court room immediately prior to López Fuentes' indictment, another hearing was held regarding the 1978 Panzós massacre, recognized as the first massacre of Guatemala's darkest period of "scorched earth" counterinsurgency. Former mayor of Panzós Walter Overdick related [...]
FIRST ARREST FOR GENOCIDE IN GUATEMALAToday, June 17th, General Héctor Mario López Fuentes was captured in Guatemala City, twenty-nine years after having initiated the execution of Plan Victoria 82, developed by the Army Chief of Staff and Efraín Ríos Montt’s de facto government. He is accused of having perpetrated genocide [...]
Jennifer Harbury speaks to the press. Graham HuntJennifer Harbury da declaraciones a la prensa.On Tuesday, February 22, 2010, following the Guatemalan Constitutional Court's February 11 decision to suspend the reopening of investigations regarding the 1992 forced disappearance of her husband, guerrilla commander Efraín Bamaca, Jennifer Harbury released to the Guatemalan [...]
Graham HuntOn February 23, 1984, at approximately 5:45 PM, Oscar David Hernández Quiroa, electromechanic at the headquarters of the Volunteer Firefighters, was ambushed in central Guatemala City by twelve armed men traveling in three vehicles. Wounded by gunfire, he was forced into one of the vehicles and never seen again, [...]
In 2003, members of the community of Choatalúm dared to do the unthinkable: they publicly denounced then-mayor Felipe Cusanero Coj for his responsibility as military commissioner for the forced disappearances of six family members between 1982 and 1984. Forced disappearance, a kidnapping authorized by a State that refuses to [...]
Join us as we enter our 30th year of solidarity work in Guatemala! Human Rights Accompaniers Needed in Guatemala Next training: January 2011 in Bay Area, CAApplication Deadline: October 31st, 2010For more information: http://www.nisgua.org/get_involved/join_gap/
The following was written by Amanda Kistler, an international accompanier from 2008 - 2009 with NISGUA. She was based out of Guatemala City and accompanied the plaintiffs in the Choatalúm trial. This article originally appeared on NACLA. Original article can be found here. On August 31, a tribunal [...]
The following was written by Josh McLeod, an international accompanier with NISGUA who accompanied the plaintiffs in El Jute. This article originally appeared on UpsideDown World. Original article can be found here. "We are fighting so that our kids won't ever have to know the pain of what we lived [...]