In memory of activist Susanne Jonas "Susanne Jones has died. Long Live Susanne Jonas!" -- Luis Argueta, Guatemalan filmmaker Susanne Jonas, prolific author, teacher, and tireless social justice activist on behalf of Guatemala and Central America more broadly, died while hospitalized with pneumonia in [...]
(En español abajo) On October 12, the Guatemalan Congress introduced a bill to compensate Military Veterans who served during the Internal Armed Conflict. We share with you the statement from La Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos, a coalition of human rights organizations in Guatemala. They pointed out that the [...]
Guatemala Increased repression and political persecution Situation of individuals, organizations and communities that defend human rights January to June 2022 Since 2021, the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders -Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) has expressed its concern about the deteriorating political, economic and social environment to which the [...]
We share the statement of Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos, in solidarity with the pursuit of democracy, freedom of expression and non-criminalization of human rights defenders. In view of the raids on El Periódico, the arrest of its President and the Prosecutor Samari Gómez We denounce: the arbitrary action [...]
Ruby Tedeschi (she/elle/ella) former NISGUA Internacionalista, recorded this update during their time as a volunteer with NISGUA. Turn the volume up and enjoy! Dear Friends and family I enjoy talking a whole lot more than I enjoy writing so I attached a voice recording [...]
On May 6, Judge Miguel Angel Galvez ordered the opening of the trial for the first nine military and retired policemen accused in the “Military Diary” case. Subsequently, after the capture and first hearing of Toribio Acevedo Ramirez, who was a fugitive and wanted for the same case, Judge [...]
During the time of the military government of Romeo Lucas García (1978-1982), the Guatemalan state and army designed and implemented its policy of genocide. While Romero Lucas García was in power, more than 1,700 people were victims of the crimes of genocide, forced disappearance and crimes against humanity by [...]
[español abajo] Building the World We Want Dear community, this month we share with you our reflections about the People’s summit celebrated in Los Angeles, updates on the Military Diary Case and the criminalization of the judge who ruled the opening of the trial, a video- report from the [...]
A member of the community whose home was destroyed by the Escobal silver mine speaks with Representative Corie Bush during the delegation's visit to Xinka territories. Members of the U.S. Congress– Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), and Rep. Jamaal Bowman [...]
Dear friends, family, and comrades, As the year moves forward, NISGUA is happy to share that we are officially back in Guatemala! Over the last few months, we have been observing trials, commemorations, and accompanying different activities with our partners. Recently, social organizations, survivors, and victims highlighted the risk [...]
On February 25th, NISGUA was present at the march and commemoration held in Guatemala City for the National Day of Dignification for the Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict (IAC). This is an important day nationally for honoring the memory of those whose lives the Guatemalan state and military [...]
ON TRIAL FOR GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY After almost forty years of the perpetuation of crimes against humanity such as genocide, Chief of Operations General Luis Enrique Mendoza García was sent to trial for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Maya Ixil people due to sufficient [...]
Ixil Genocide Case Bulletin 04 02/10/22 DEFENSE ATTORNEY ASKS THAT THE AJR AND CALDH NOT BE CONSTITUTED AS DEFINITIVE PLAINTIFFS IN THE CASE "We oppose the acceptance of the request made by the AJR and CALDH entities to be definitively constituted as associated plaintiffs in the present process and [...]
Ixil Genocide Case Bulletin 03 -- 02/08/22 "I AUTHORIZED THE VICTORIA 82 PLAN" On the third day of the genocide trial, Luis Enrique Mendoza Garcia, Chief of Operations of the General Staff of national defense during 1982 and 1983, admitted that he autorized the Victoria 82 Plan of Operations, [...]
PLAINTIFFS IN CASE REQUEST THAT MILITARY OFFICER ACCUSED OF GENOCIDE BE SENT TO TRIAL "As a part of these processes of justice where the democratic state and the construction of peace in this country are also being strengthened so that the new generations remember this history and can join [...]
Luis Enrique Mendoza García, former high-ranking military officer, will face trial for genocide and crimes against humanity while attacks to judicial independence continue; a call for mutual respect and transparency on the pre-consultations of the mining project in Xinca territory Flyer announcing the opening of the trial. [...]
Bulletin 01- 2/1/22 (Written by CALDH) Intermediate Phase Against Army Chief of Operation in Ixil Genocide Case begins “As a part of the general army staff and the national defense staff, you had knowledge and willingness to destroy the civil noncombatant population of the Maya Ixil ethnic group.” The [...]
From February 1 to February 15, the intermediate phase of the Ixil Genocide case against the retired military officer Luis Enrique Mendoza García took place. Mendoza García was Chief of Military Operations (G3) under the Ríos Montt dictatorship between 1982 and 1983. After verifying that there was reasonable doubt [...]
[español abajo] Dear community, This month, we share with you the concerns of Guatemalan human rights, and survivors organizations over changes to the Public Prosecutor's Human Rights office. We also invite you to commemorate Indigenous people’s day by listening to their powerful leadership in the fight against the US [...]
On October 11, Attorney General Consuelo Porras transferred Hilda Pineda out of her position as head of the Special Prosecutor's Office on Human Rights, to the Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes Against Tourists. Hilda Pineda has led several processes that took former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and other former military [...]
The sacred fire burns during a ceremony celebrated on September 10 in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the ADH on Maya Mam territory. Photo credit: ADH [Español abajo] Dear comrades, family, and friends, This month, we offer updates on the Lucas García Ixil [...]
Picture of a roadblock in the Ixcán region on July 29 during the National Strike. The signs read: “Ixcán present in the fight, we demand the resignation of Alejandro Giammattei and Consuelo Porras,” “Resist to Live, Resist to Advance,” “Resign Giammattei! Porras Out!,” and “The people united will never [...]
July 28, 2021 Contact: Claire Bransky, claire[at]nisgua.org Today, a broad coalition of Central and North American organizations delivered a petition with more than 1300 signatures to the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Congress. The petition calls for an end to expulsions of asylum seekers [...]
On July 22nd, Rubén’s life partner, feminist leader Alba Cecilia, launched Rubén’s second book, ¿Cómo olvidar a las memorias olvidadas? or How to forget the forgotten memories? You can watch the livestream of the launch in Spanish at www.facebok.com/MadreSelvaColectivo. [Español abajo] Dear NISGUA community, In moments of grief, as in [...]
June 25, 2021 Revised NGO Law threatens freedom of association in Guatemala The undersigned organizations express our profound concern regarding the amendments to Bill 5257, a law governing the activities of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), that went into effect Monday, June 21st, [...]
Lawyers and plaintiffs present in the Judicial Room during the First Declaration Hearing of the six former military and police indicted for crimes against humanity in the Military Diary Case. Photo Credit: FAMDEGUA From June 1-10, pre-trial hearings in the Military Diary Case were [...]
Following the news that eleven alleged perpetrators in the Military Diary case have been detained on May 27 of 2021, we express our solidarity with the family members of the disappeared people. These family members have struggled for 38 years to discover what happened to their loved ones who [...]
A page from the Military Diary. Photo credit: Centro de Medios Independientes On May 27, 11 ex-military and police officers linked to the Military Diary Case were taken into custody to face charges of forced dissaparence, torture, rape and killings between 1983 and 1985. Our [...]
Straigth from NISGUA's archives, we invite you to read this letter written by Kayla Myers, who was an accompanier in Guatemala from November 2014 to November 2015. Dear Family and Friends, I write you with a feeling of gratitude. Your messages of support and kindness give me [...]
In February, 2020, President Giammattei signed into law Decree 4-2020, formerly known as Bill 5257, but it was stalled by the former Constitutional Court (CC) due to a series of lawsuits that considered this law to be unconstitutional. On May 13, the CC definitively denied the injunctions against this [...]
signez la pétition Read in English // Leer en español Pétition: Les droits humains des peuples autochtones en matière de migration Les peuples autochtones d’Abiayala (les Amériques, en termes coloniaux) continuent de faire face aux résultats destructeurs d’un colonialisme fondé sur la Doctrine de la découverte: [...]
"I commemorate to avoid repetition!" Flyer, of the eighth anniversary of the first sentence for genocide and crimes against against the Maya Ixil people, released on May 10, 2013. Credit: Center for Legal Action on Human Rights, CALDH. To mark the 8th anniversary of the sentence that [...]
Fabiola García and Miriam Pixtun from CALDH during the live-streamed presentation of the virtual exhibition. Photo credit: CALDH //Fabiola García y Miriam Pixtun de CALDH durante la presentación en vivo de la exposición virtual de la Casa de la Memoria Kaji Tulam. Foto por: CALDH [...]
As I write these lines, I can’t help but think that just a year ago, on March 15, 2020, the first COVID-19 death was reported in Guatemala. On March 17, the state closed the borders and imposed a stage of siege. One month later, on April 23, I closed [...]
During the February 25 commemoration, social organizations placed a poster with national symbols, covered by pictures of the disappeared and victims of the Internal Armed Conflict, outside the Congress. Photo credit: Edith López Ovalle Dear friends and comrades: We are already walking [...]
(Español abajo) Maya-Ixil Human Rights survivors and victims of Guatemalan state-sponsored violence fight for asylum in the United States El Paso Immigration Lawyer Carlos Spector declares, “It’s the most significant case I’ve ever had.” El Paso, TX: Gaspar Cobo and Francisco Chávez are Maya-Ixil human rights leaders and [...]
Guatemalan authorities put a giant poster with national symbols outside the Congress. Social organizations covered it with pictures of the disappeared and victims of the Internal Armed Conflict during the February 25 commemoration. Photo credit: Edith López Ovalle [...]
SIGN THE PETITION TODAY REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR Indigenous peoples of Abiayala (the Americas, in colonial terms) continue to face the destructive results of ongoing Doctrine of Discovery-based colonialism: imposed resource extraction, impunity for crimes against humanity, systemic poverty, robbing of ancestral lands, and more. [...]
These past few months have been full of challenges, victories, and continued perseverance. Continue reading below to join us in celebrating our wins, take action with us, and learn about the continued fight for justice for genocide survivors, land defenders, and all migrants and asylum seekers. Please also consider [...]
Since Giammattei announced a series of decrees closing several institutions created to comply with the Peace Accords signed by the Guatemalan State in 1996, we have been echoing the demands of our Guatemalan partners and uplifting their actions and statements. We also express our concerns on this grave setback [...]