[Español a continuación] As the Maya Ixil Genocide case against ex-general Manuel Benedicto Lucas García comes to a close, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation -AJR- and The Human Rights Office of the Archbishop of Guatemala -ODHAG- declare to the public, national and international audience: WE ARE APPROACHING A [...]
[Español a continuación] In the October Solidarity Update: ⚖️ As the Ixil Genocide Case against Manuel Benedicto Lucas García comes to a close, this update includes an opportunity to take action in solidarity with Ixil Maya genocide survivors. 🌹 October 28th, 2024 marks one year since the assassination of [...]
November marks the close of the Maya Ixil genocide case against Manuel Benedicto Lucas García, Chief of the General Staff of the Guatemalan Army between 1981 and 1982. We invite you to show your solidarity with members of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) who brought the case [...]
Miércoles 18 de septiembre audiencia 72 Este día se presentó el perito en arqueología forense Donaldo Arnulfo Castillo Valdez. Ratificó 3 peritajes que realizó cuando trabajaba con el Centro de Análisis Forense y Ciencias Aplicadas (CAFCA) y que corresponden al tiempo de la acusación en contra de Benedicto Lucas [...]
September 2, 2024, Hearing 68 On Monday, September 2, the expert Guillermo Vázquez appeared at the Court via zoom call from the Guatemalan consulate in Mexico. His first expert report corresponds to the one carried out in the Xecax canton, where 34 skeletons were recovered, of which 31 were [...]
Lunes 2 de septiembre de 2024. Audiencia 68 El lunes 2 de septiembre se presentó desde el consulado de Guatemala en México el perito Guillermo Vázquez. El primer peritaje corresponde al realizado en el cantón Xecax, en donde se recuperaron 34 osamentas de las cuales se identificaron 31. El [...]
This week 9 witnesses of massacres and one witness of sexual violence testified in Santa Maria Nebaj against Lucas Garcia for the massacres and crimes committed in 1982. Outside the courthouse in Nebaj, a banner commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 2013 genocide sentence is seen, which was placed [...]
Esta semana se presentaron en Santa María Nebaj 9 testigos de masacres y una testiga de violencia sexual, para testificar contra el ex- militar Benedicto Lucas García por las masacres y crímenes cometidos en 1982 contra la población Maya Ixil. Afuera del juzgado en Nebaj se observa una manta [...]
Martes 30 de julio, audiencia 56 “Quedamos con este miedo de que en cualquier momento nos pueden matar también.” Sobreviviente del genocidio Ixil En la audiencia de hoy se incorporaron 2 pruebas documentales y en audio se escuchó el anticipo de prueba de un testigo. El primer documento al [...]
Monday, July 22, Hearing 52 This day the hearing continued with the testimony of the witness María Marcos. The witness pointed out that when the soldiers burned her house in Pexla, she was with three of her daughters, a baby, an 11 year old, and a 14 year old. [...]
Members of the CRLN delegation and members of NISGUA leaving a visit to a witness in the genocide case against Lucas García, in the Ixil region. Credits: Juan V. Miembros de la delegación de CRLN y miembros de NISGUA saliendo de la visita a un testigo del caso por [...]
Fotografía de perito presentando las conclusiones de su peritaje antropólogico forense ante el Tribunal. Foto: FGER Lunes 8 de julio Audiencia 44 Esta semana, continuó la presencia en la sala de audiencias de la delegación de jóvenes guatemaltecos- estadounidenses para mostrar su solidaridad con los querellantes, testigos y [...]
Youth in Copal AA march towards the river with signs denouncing contamination of the earth and water. Photo by NISGUA internacionalistas. Jóvenes de Copal AA marchan hacia el río con carteles que denuncian la contaminación de la tierra y el agua. Fotografía por internacionalistas de NISGUA (Español [...]
On January 4, the oral and public debate for the Ixil Lucas García genocide case was scheduled to begin. A day before, a hearing was held to conclude on the mental health of Manuel Callejas y Callejas. The court resolved the cessation of criminal prosecution in an ordinary trial [...]
Como parte de nuestro compromiso de compartir información accesible creada en diálogo con nuestras contrapartes sobre el contexto de Guatemala, a continuación compartimos algunos puntos claves del proceso electoral, que culminará con la segunda vuelta este 20 de Agosto Coyuntura general para entender elecciones en [...]
The Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) rejects and question the candidacy for the presidential elections of Zury Mayté Ríos Sosa, daughter of the deceased ex-dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt. THE ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION - AJR- COMMUNICATES TO THE PUBLIC OPINION Zury Ríos Sosa's participation as a [...]
On May 10, 2023, the Caravan of Memory and Justice was held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the historic genocide sentence of May 10, 2013, on which former dictator Efrain Rios Montt became the first head of state in the world to be sentenced in national courts [...]
El 10 de Mayo del 2023 se realizó la Caravana de la Memoria y la Justicia para conmemorar el décimo aniversario de la histórica sentencia por genocidio del 10 de mayo de 2013, fecha en la cual el ex dictador Efraín Ríos Montt se convirtió en el primer jefe [...]
On May 10, 2023, a press conference was held during the activities to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the sentence against Efraín Ríos Montt in 2013, for genocide and crimes against the duties of humanity committed against the Maya Ixil people. At the press conference, victims and survivors of [...]
We share with you a statement from the AJR regarding the return of the remains of several people murdered during the Internal Armed Conflict by the Guatemalan army, to their community of La Trinitaria, Ixcán, Quiche. Guatemala November 17, 2022 We inform the national and international [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, In recent weeks, we have seen acute moments of settler-colonial violence and authoritarianism throughout the globe. We stand in solidarity with those rising up to protect their homes, livelihoods, and the right to self-determination, from Palestine to Colombia, and back into our own cities and [...]
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 [...]
"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 [...]
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 [...]
Members of the Platform of Victims and Survivors of the Internal Armed Conflict outside the Constitutional Court of Guatemala. Photo credit: Courtesy of AJR On October 5, the National Platform of Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict and Guatemalan social organizations expressed their rejection of President Giammattei’s [...]
One of many scenes of the first virtual assembly in Santa Anita. Photo credit: AJR This month we invite you to watch a series of virtual forums organized by the Xinka Parliament, read updates on the Association for Justice and Reconciliation’s (AJR) first virtual annual assembly, learn [...]
"Their truth is our truth". Illustration by CALDH. On September 16, 17 and 18, survivors of massacres that occurred in the Ixil region gave their testimonies as pretrial evidence in the case against retired military officer Luis Enrique Mendoza García who was Chief of Army Operations in the government [...]
Welcome to this second Friends and Family letter, I hope you are staying warm and cozy this winter days! I wish you a festive, joyous and reflective time. Below you’ll read about my reflections as well as my wishes for the next decade: for political prisoners to be freed, [...]