Justice & Accountability
- CREOMPAZ: Congressman Edgar Ovalle is ordered to stay in Guatemala
- Lucas García to be tried for the disappearance of Marco Antonio Molina Theissen
- Uncertainty if Ríos Montt will be tried for Dos Erres massacre
Defense of Life & Territory
- Staff member from the environmental justice law firm CALAS is murdered
- The municipality of Mataquescuintla re-affirms 2012 referendum results that voted ‘NO’ to mining
News from the Grassroots
- NISGUA statement: “Trump’s election and our commitment to internationalism”
- “Guatemalan women healing towards justice” tour build U.S.-Guatemala connections in the global fight for gender justice
- San Francisco to the Army Corps of Engineers: Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline
- Introducing NISGUA’s 2017 Delegation: Women and the Work of Liberation in Guatemala
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Family members of victims in the CREOMPAZ case gather outside the Supreme Court on December 2 to denounce the stall tactics used to avoid revoking the diplomatic immunity of Congressman Edgar Ovalle, implicated in the case.
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CREOMPAZ: Congressman Edgar Ovalle is ordered to stay in Guatemala
Yesterday, a judge ordered that Congressman Edgar Ovalle remain in Guatemala as a precautionary measure while a Supreme Court-appointed commission determines whether or not to revoke his diplomatic immunity. Ovalle has been named by the Public Prosecutor’s office in connection to crimes committed in 1983 in the former Military Zone 21 – now known as CREOMPAZ. While other former military officers have been charged for crimes against humanity based on forensic evidence and exhumations carried out at the base, Ovalle currently enjoys diplomatic immunity and cannot be fully investigated. Read NISGUA’s in-depth report for more on the CREOMPAZ case.
With an upcoming hearing scheduled in the case, the Forensic and Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) is working to collect DNA evidence and return the remains of more than 500 people exhumed from mass graves at the CREOMPAZ base to family members for a dignified burial. On August 30, the International Day Against Forced Disappearance, a NISGUA accompanier attended the burial of 4-year-old Marta Elena Chen Ivoy and several of her family members. Read the narrative account of the burial and regularly check our blog and Twitter account for coverage of the advances in the CREOMPAZ case.
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Lucas García to be tried for the disappearance of Marco Antonio Molina Theissen
On October 25, Judge Víctor Herrera Ríos of Guatemala’s High Risk Crimes Court Tribunal “C” indicted former Army Chief of Staff Manuel Benedicto Lucas García on charges connected with the 1981 forced disappearance of Marco Antonio Molina Theissen. Lucas García was Army Chief of Staff under his brother Romeo Lucas García’s 1978-1982 dictatorship and is also indicted for crimes against humanity in the CREOMPAZ case. He joins four other former high-ranking military officials already indicted.
Marco Antonio was disappeared on October 1981 after his sister, Emma Guadalupe, escaped from the “Manuel Lizandro Barillas” military base where she was held captive, tortured, and raped by members of the Guatemalan military. The court’s earlier decision to not include charges of sexual violence and torture of Emma Guadalupe was overturned. Now, in addition to standing trial for the disappearance of Marco Antonio, all five men indicted will also stand trial for aggravated rape and crimes against humanity related to the forced detention of his sister.
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Uncertainty if Ríos Montt will be tried for Dos Erres massacre
While former Guatemalan dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt has been declared mentally unfit to stand trial for genocide related to the 1982 massacre in Las Dos Erres, possibilities remain that he will face charges in a special procedures court. The Public Prosecutor's office has requested that a legal representative stand trial in his place behind closed doors, in a similar way to how he is currently being prosecuted for genocide against the Ixil people. If the judge accepts the request and he is found guilty, he would likely be sent to a specialized hospital instead of being sent to prison.
Plaintiff organization FAMDEGUA and their legal team denounced faulty media coverage in November that claimed that charges against Ríos Montt had been dismissed based on the medical report stating his advanced dementia would not allow him to stand trial. At the moment, it is unclear when the decision will be made whether or not he will be prosecuted this way. For more background on his prosecution related to this case, read the extensive article by the International Justice Monitor.
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Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima, assistant to the General Director of CALAS, was murdered on November 12.
Read Amnesty International's report on the increase in attacks against environmental defenders in Guatemala and Honduras.
Photo: Facebook
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DEFENSE OF LIFE & TERRITORY
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Staff member from the environmental justice law firm CALAS is murdered
On November 12, 2016, Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima was shot and killed in Guatemala City. He was a 22-year-old activist and human rights defender, working for the past two years as Assistant to the General Director of the Guatemalan Center for Legal, Environmental and Social Action (CALAS). CALAS has been the driving force behind many legal cases against the Guatemalan government and transnational resource extraction companies for violence and environmental destruction.
CALAS released a statement the day after Jeremy’s murder that calls upon the national and international community to demand justice for this crime. In response to this call NISGUA published a statement together with U.S. and Canadian solidarity organizations. We call on our base to take action using Amnesty International’s urgent action template for writing letters to embassies and the Public Prosecutor’s office in Guatemala, demanding a full investigation into Jeremy’s murder and continued protection for environmental defenders.
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The municipality of Mataquescuintla re-affirms 2012 referendum that voted ‘NO’ to mining
Four year ago, residents of the southeastern Guatemalan municipality of Mataquescuintla held a referendum in which 98.42% of participants voted against the presence of resource extraction projects in their territories. On November 11, 2016, the municipality re-affirmed its commitment to uphold that decision and continue to stand up against US-Canadian mining company Tahoe Resources and the operation of its Escobal mine in the area.
Francisco Enrique López, one of the organizers of the celebration said: “Once again, the people of Mataquescuintla have shown they are still standing and continuing to support the results of the free and democratic municipal consultation that said 'NO' to mining. Today, once again, we ratify the stance that we have taken because we know that the threat continues to exist here in this territory. We are standing up for life through the defense of our territory and natural resources.” Visit our blog for more on the event.
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Tour speaker Maudi Tzay speaks in Tuscon, AZ about the Sepur Zarco trial and the importance of empowerment and healing for survivors.
Photo: Graham Hunt
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NISGUA statement: “Trump’s election and our commitment to internationalism”
In response to the election of Donald Trump, we recommit to internationalism and solidarity during this time of domestic upheaval and believe that solidarity with social movements in Guatemala is an essential component of our social justice strategy here in the U.S. Today, more than ever, it is critical that people of conscience in the U.S. stand firm with conviction against hate and for the collective liberation of all people. We deeply believe in internationalism and in the instructive resilience and courage of 500 years of resistance to colonialism and imperialism that has guided us for 35 years and will continue to guide us in the years to come. Visit our blog for our full statement on the election.
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“Guatemalan women healing towards justice” tour builds U.S.-Guatemala connections in the global fight for gender justice
This October, we invited the Alliance to Break Silence and End Impunity on tour in the United States to talk about the emblematic Sepur Zarco trial and the important healing work being done as a pillar of justice. Maudi Tzay, a Kaqchiquel community psychologist working with the Community Studies and Psychosocial Action Team (ECAP), joined us on tour as a member of the Alliance who has provided support to women survivors of state-sanctioned sexual slavery from Sepur Zarco. Together, we reached over 900 people during 26 events, drawing important links between militarism and sexual violence while connecting with local organizers working on issues of gender justice and movements for healing, resistance, and resilience.
Read our extended tour report-back for highlights!
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San Francisco to the Army Corps of Engineers: Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline
On November 15, NISGUA’s U.S. staff joined thousands in San Francisco as part of a national day of action in solidarity with native water protectors in North Dakota resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline. The action, organized by Idle No More-SF Bay and other social justice organizations, began at 6:30 a.m. with an interfaith sunrise ceremony in front of City Hall, responding to calls from communities impacted by the proposed pipeline for prayerful action in solidarity with their struggle. Following two hours of prayer and song, demonstrators marched and converged on the Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) District Headquarters in San Francisco, blocking every entrance to the building for nearly three hours while organizers spoke with the office staff to demand that the CoE deny Energy Transfer Partners, the firm behind the pipeline, a permit to continue construction.
We celebrated on December 4 when the Obama Administration announced that the Army Corps of Engineers had not granted the permit to allow the pipeline to pass beneath the Missouri River, and instead, called for an environmental impact assessment study that will take into consideration alternative routes. This is a major victory for indigenous-led people power, and communities are preparing for ongoing organizing and sustained defense of water and life. Read the statement released by Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II.
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Introducing NISGUA’s 2017 Delegation: Women and the Work of Liberation in Guatemala
Across Guatemala, women are leading transformative movements for justice, accountability, and self-determination—and their work is having a global impact. This April 22-29, we invite you to join our 2017 delegation “Women and the Work of Liberation in Guatemala” to explore the dynamic strategies, resilience practices, and forms of organizing that many Guatemalan women use to address the interlocking systems of capitalism, racism, and patriarchy while building visions for a world free from gendered violence, state repression, and environmental degradation.
This delegation will be a unique opportunity for organizations and individuals from the U.S. to engage in horizontal exchange with women-led social movements in Guatemala, while building capacity for organizing and advocacy across borders. To learn more about the delegation and to apply, visit our website.
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Our 2017 calendars are now on sale and feature women in defense of land! At the forefront of local and international movements, courageous women protect natural resources, build sustainable communities, and promote environmental and social justice. Visit our website to order your calendar today!
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