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# Guatemala Human Rights Commission/ USA

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- [State of Siege in Guatemala Take Action!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2024/07/https-guatemalahumanrightscommission-salsalabs-org-stageofsiege-index-htmletypeemailblastcontenteid7bc1d066-6e99-477b-bcd1-e4f67fe9ab47/) - State of Siege in Guatemala Take Action! Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has instituted a state of emergency in Guatemala following a series of police killings carried out by gang members. The specific state of emergency he has implemented, called a state of siege, implies the suspension of certain constitutional rights. Arévalo declared the state of
- [July 2024 Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2024/08/july-update/) - Summer has brought celebrations and setbacks to the brave defenders of Guatemalan human rights. In hopeful news, Indigenous land rights activist Lolita Chávez has returned to her home in the K’iche after seven years of exile. In 2017, she suffered an attempt on her life for her efforts to curtail illegal logging and defend the
- [Indigenous Survivors File for Injunction Against Former Dictator’s Daughter](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2023/02/indigenous-survivors-file-injunction-against-former-dictators-daughter/) - On February 25, the National Day for the Dignification of the Victims of the Armed Conflict, survivors and families of the victims filed for an injunction against the candidacy of Zury Ríos. In a press conference outside of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), the National Platform of the Victims of the Armed Conflict asserted
- [Reports Confirm 2022 as the Worst Year on Record for Human Rights in this Century](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2023/04/reports-confirm-2022-as-the-worst-year-on-record-for-human-rights-in-this-century/) - The Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (UDEFEGUA) presented its Human Report for 2022 on March 23. The report, titled "Revenge as State Public Policy: Guatemala in Serious Democratic Crisis," points to the breakdown of human rights conditions in Guatemala. For 2022, UDEDEGUA registered 3,574 attacks against defenders, three times higher than the
- [Guatemala Democracy and Human Rights Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2023/10/guatemala-democracy-and-human-rights-update/) - After ever more brazen moves by the country's Public Ministry to undermine the presidential election results, Guatemalans are in the streets, risking their own safety for their democracy. Please read the news below and be ready to add your voice to those of the Guatemalans fighting for the most basic of rights. Election News Guatemalans
- [Verification on the Status of Mining Activities in El Estor - The Report is Out!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2023/02/verification-on-the-status-of-mining-activities-in-el-estor-the-report-is-out/) - From January 25-28, our Guatemala Team led a delegation from Switzerland–including representatives from civil society groups and the Swiss Ambassador–to verify conditions in El Estor related to an illegal nickel mine threatening local Indigenous communities. This verification mission was organized by our team which arranged the meetings and connected the delegates directly to Indigenous Authorities
- [Read our Report back from Verification Mission to Chapin Abajo](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/12/read-our-report-back-from-verification-mission-to-chapin-abajo/) - December 6, 2022, a large contingent of Guatemala security forces attacked the Chapín Abajo community. The security forces were carrying out an eviction notice filed by the African palm company NaturAceites. An estimated 3,000 Guatemalan police and military arrived in the early morning. They opened fire, deployed teargas, and violently beat community members, including women
- [US Seeks to Solve Migration Crisis with Billion Dollar Investment Plan ](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2023/02/us-seeks-to-solve-migration-crisis-with-billion-dollar-investment-plan-/) - On February 6th, even as Guatemalan authorities engage in a systematic evisceration of its justice system and private industry continues to dispossess Indigenous communities, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the next phase of her migration plan for Central America. Known as the “Root Causes Strategy,” this Vice Presidential initiative aims to tackle “the drivers of
- [Supreme Electoral Tribunal Blocks Registration of Progressive Presidential Ticket](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2023/02/supreme-electoral-tribunal-blocks-registration-of-progressive-presidential-ticket/) - On January 28, in a resolution, the Registry of Citizens of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) rejected the Presidential Ticket of Thelma Cabrera and Jordan Rodas for the People’s Liberation Movement Party (MLP). Claiming that the registration of former Ombudsman and Vice Presidential hopeful Jordan Rodas was not valid, the TSE argued that Rodas cannot
- [GHRC Travels to Colombia to Participate in International Conference Addressing Regional Human Rights Issues](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/12/ghrc-travels-to-colombia-to-participate-in-international-conference-addressing-regional-human-rights-issues/) - In the midst of authoritarian backsliding across Latin America, a conference shone a ray of hope, connecting hundreds of human rights advocates to develop a regional strategy to common challenges. From November 29-30, the Inaugural RegionaR Conference took place in Bogota, Colombia where human rights representatives from across the region, shared their experiences and strategies
- [GHRC Statement Condemning Attack in El Estor, December 2022](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/12/ghrc-statement-condemning-attack-in-el-estor-december-2022/) - Yesterday morning, hundreds of Guatemalan security forces arrived to evict the Indigenous Q’eqchi community of Chapín Abajo in El Estor, Izabal. Acting on behalf of the large-scale African Palm producer, NaturAceites, the police used excessive force to remove the community which has been accused by the company of “usurping the land.” The forces opened fire,
- [October/November Human Rights Update is Out!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/12/october-november-human-rights-update-is-out/) - In yet another concerning two months, the situation in Guatemala continues to worsen. After months of defamation and threats, Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez Gálvez was forced to resign and joined the 30 other judicial sector workers in exile. Irregularities abounded in the Guatemalan judicial system, as the trial against criminalized former prosecutor Virginia Laparra began
- [Guatemala’s Independence Month Marked by Disillusion](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/10/guatemalas-independence-month-marked-by-disillusion/) - On September 12, protesters marched through Guatemala in rejection of upcoming independence day celebrations. Under the slogan, “independence for who,” the united group of Indigenous Authorities, communities in resistance, students, and human rights activists spoke out against the last 201 years of slavery, misery, and impovershment. The group convened in the Constitutional Plaza and demanded
- [The Report is Out! Read Our Findings from the July Emergency Human Rights Delegation to Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/09/the-report-is-out-read-our-findings-from-the-july-emergency-human-rights-delegation-to-guatemala/) - We are thrilled to announce the release of our 2022 Emergency Human Rights Delegation Report now available to read on our website. From July 23-30, 2022, we led an Emergency Human Rights Delegation to Guatemala to document the impacts of the democratic backsliding and destruction of rule of law on human rights defenders. The delegation
- [Alert: Municipal Government of Nebaj Attempts to Evict Ixil Indigenous Authorities from their Office](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/09/alert-municipal-government-of-nebaj-attempts-to-evict-ixil-indigenous-authorities-from-their-office/) - GHRC, Protection International, and the Human Rights Defenders Project joint statement condemning actions of aggression against the Ixil Authorities in their office in Nebaj English Translation Below August 31, 2022 On the afternoon of August 31, the Ixil Indigenous Authorities were forced to vacate their office in Nebaj. Workers from the Municipality arrived and began
- [Mid-Year Data Confirms Worst Fears for Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/09/mid-year-data-confirms-worst-fears-for-human-rights-defenders-in-guatemala/) - Mid-year statistics reveal that the human rights situation continues to worsen under the Giammattei administration. On August 23, the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (UDEFEGUA) presented its analysis on the situation for human rights defenders in the first half of 2022. Between January and June, UDEFEGUA recorded 589 aggressions against individuals, organizations,
- [Take Action: One of Guatemala's Most Prominent Journalists and Two Others Arrested](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/08/one-of-guatemalas-most-prominent-journalists-and-two-others-arrested/) - In spite of widespread international criticism, the Guatemalan government has ramped up its efforts to criminalize those in the fight against corruption and impunity. On July 29, police arrested one of Guatemala’s most prominent journalists. José Ruben Zamora–founder and director of the Guatemalan news outlet El Periodico–was arrested at his home in Guatemala City, following
- [Recruitment Open for Emergency Human Rights Delegation in July](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/06/recruitment-open-for-emergency-human-rights-delegation-in-july/) - From July 23-30, 2022, we are hosting an Emergency Delegation to Guatemala to document the broad-based and intensifying attack on human rights. Our partners in Guatemala have asked us to visibilize their struggles in the face of threats, criminalization, and increased violence. Join the delegation to learn in detail about the dangers they face and
- [June 3 Human Rights Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/06/june-3-human-rights-update/) - Congress Will Discuss Removal of Jordan Rodas as Human Rights Ombudsman On May 31, the Human Rights Commission of the Guatemalan Congress voted in favor of a proposal to request a plenary session to discuss the removal of Human Rights Ombudsman Jordan Rodas. The proposal–originally proposed by Congressman Manuel Conde–was approved with 11 votes in
- [Watch the video of our webinar featuring Maya Ixil activists Miguel de Leon Ceto and Francisco Chavez Raymundo](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/06/watch-the-video-of-our-webinar-featuring-maya-ixil-activists-miguel-de-leon-ceto-and-francisco-chavez-raymundo/) - On May 22, GHRC hosted a webinar on the impact of human rights backsliding in Guatemala on Indigenous communities. The event featured two human rights defenders: Indigenous Mayor and Ixil Authority Don Miguel de Leon Ceto as well as genocide survivor and key witness in the trial against former Dictator Efrain Rios Montt Fransisco Chavez
- [Attorney General Election Sparks National Protests](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/05/attorney-general-election-sparks-national-protests/) - On April 25, the Nomination Commission announced the final six candidates for Attorney General. The candidates include Néctor Guilebaldo de León Ramírez, Jorge Luis Donado Aguilar, Darleene Apolonia Monge Pinelo, Gabriel Estuardo García Luna, Henry Alejandro Elías Wilson, and María Consuelo Porras. Consuelo Porras–current Attorney General and identified corrupt actor by the US State Department–was
- [Judge Erika Aifán Forced into Exile  ](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/03/judge-erika-aifan-forced-into-exile/) - On March 21, Judge Erika Aifán joined the growing group of Guatemalans exiled in Washington, DC. On twitter, she announced her resignation as High Risk Court Judge, stating, “It became clear to me that remaining in Guatemala and continuing to do my job represented a threat to my life.” Years of intimidation and threats made
- [Eighteen NGOs Call for Reconsideration of DFC’s Investment Plans  in Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/03/eighteen-ngos-call-for-reconsideration-of-dfcs-investment-plans-in-guatemala/) - In spite of increasing pressure from the United States and other countries, Guatemala’s top officials have continued their assault on independent prosecutors and judges. In addition, recently a report was released illustrating the corrupt practices that one of Central America’s largest nickel mines, located in El Estor, Izabal, has engaged in, with the cooperation of
- [A Decade of Resistance: GHRC Honors the Anniversary of the La Puya Movement ](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/03/a-decade-of-resistance-ghrc-honors-the-anniversary-of-the-la-puya-movement-/) - Protest outside of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (GHRC-2016) Ten years ago today, the Peaceful Resistance of La Puya was born in defense of community water, life, and health and against an illegal mine. On March 2, 2012, the communities of San José de Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc united and established a protest
- [Dianna Ortiz Memorial](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/02/diana-ortiz-memorial-page/) - Dianna Ortiz, OSU, died on February 19, 2021, at 62 years old. She fought for the rights of all and fought bravely. We are proud and honored to have had her on staff and in our hearts at GHRC. Please visit her full memorial page on our site here. Dianna worked at the Guatemala Human
- [NGO Law Poses Major Threat to Civil Society as Organizations Face Closure](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/02/ngo-law-poses-major-threat-to-civil-society-as-organizations-face-closure/) - La Hora: Organizations Present their Statement in Press Conference in the Constitutional Plaza In a press conference held in the Constitutional Plaza, civil society organizations denounced Decree 04-2020, known as the “NGO Law” which came into full effect on February 2 as the deadline for organizations to register themselves passed. Condemning the lack of transparency
- [Maya Achi Women Achieve Justice after 40 Years](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/01/maya-achi-women-achieve-justice-after-40-years/) - In a historic victory for transitional justice, Judge Yassmin Barrios declared five former Civil Defense Patroler members guilty of crimes against humanity in the form against sexual violence against 36 Maya Achi women between 1981 and 1985. Judge Gervi Sical during the sentencing hearing stated, “It has been possible to establish disproportionate violence against these
- [GHRC Congratulates the Achi Women and their Legal Team for their Victory Over Impunity in the Trial Against five exPAC Convicted of Crimes Against Humanity](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/01/ghrc-congratulates-the-achi-women-and-their-legal-team-for-their-victory-over-impunity-in-the-trial-against-five-expac-convicted-of-crimes-against-humanity/) - (English below) On January 24, five former Civil Defense Patrollers on trial for sexual violence and crimes against humanity against 36 Maya Achi women were found guilty. Gabriel Cuxum Alvarado, Bernardo Ruiz Aquino, Benvenuto Ruiz Aquino, Damián Cuxum Alvarado, Francisco Cuxum Alvarado will face 30 years in prison for crimes against humanity in the form
- [GHRC Accompanies Achi Women in their Fight for Justice as Trial of 5 Former Civil Patrollers Begins](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/01/ghrc-accompanies-achi-women-in-their-fight-for-justice-as-trial-of-5-former-civil-patrollers-begins/) - Palacio de Justicia, Guatemala: Trial against 5 former civil patrollers taking place on Level 15 of the Tribunal Towers. The oral and public debate stage in the trial against the 5 former members of the Civil Defense Patrol (PAC) accused of sexual violence and crimes against humanity began on January 5. The survivors of these
- [2021 in Guatemala Marked by 846 Attacks Against Human Rights Defenders](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2022/01/2021-in-guatemala-marked-by-846-attacks-against-human-rights-defenders/) - The Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) reported 846 aggressions against human rights defenders this year. Of the aggressions cited, 153 were committed against environmental defenders and 210 against judicial sector workers, including judges and prosecutors. From January to November, there were 11 murders and 3 attempted murders. Defenders also
- [Ministry of Energy and Mines Rams through Sham Consultation on Fenix Mine](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/12/ministry-of-energy-and-mines-rams-through-sham-consultation-on-fenix-mine/) - On the morning of December 13, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) announced in a press conference that the consultation process on the Fenix Mine was officially completed. As mandated by a Constitutional Court (CC) ruling in response to an appeal filed by the El Estor Fisherman’s Guild in 2019, a consultation process needed
- [December 10 Human Rights Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/12/december-10-human-rights-update/) - 54 Dead After Mexican Bus Carrying Central American Migrants Crashes A trailer crammed with over 100 migrants overturned in Chiapas on December 9, leaving 54 dead. According to Luis Manuel García Moreno--Chiapas Civil Protection Secretary--the weight of the trailer compounded with the speed of the truck caused the trailer to flip off the truck bed,
- [December 3 Human Rights Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/12/december-3-human-rights-update/) - Public Ministry Presses Charges Against Defender Beaten by Police Over the last week, three activists have been criminalized for charges related to their involvement in a peaceful demonstration that took place on November 21, 2020. The popular demonstration, attended by thousands of citizens outraged by overnight budget cuts in critical areas of need, was largely
- [Members of Congress Call on Secretary Blinken to Demand End to State of Exception in El Estor](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/11/members-of-congress-call-on-secretary-blinken-to-demand-end-to-state-of-exception-in-el-estor/) - In a letter released this afternoon, nine representatives publicly urged Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to condemn and call for the removal of the state of exception imposed on El Estor. Of the five states of exception--which is outlined in the Guatemalan Constitution and allows for the temporary suspension of certain rights and guarantees--the state
- [GHRC and Various Human Rights Organizations Release Joint Statement Condemning Human Rights Violations Occurring Under the State of Siege in El Estor](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/11/ghrc-and-various-human-rights-organizations-release-joint-statement-condemning-human-rights-violations-occurring-under-the-state-of-siege-in-el-estor/) - GHRC, together with nine other human rights organizations released a joint statement condemning police brutality in El Estor. Read the pronouncement below.
- [Police Burn Homes in El Chinebal, Forcibly Displacing 96 maya Q’eqchi Families](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/11/police-burn-homes-in-el-chinebal-forcibly-displacing-96-maya-qeqchi-families/) - A contingent of hundreds of National Civil Police (PNC) officers forcibly evicted 96 Maya Q’eqchi families on November 16. Carrying out an eviction order against the community, the PNC used heavy machinery to destroy their homes and burned their homes, belongings, and crops. Police also arrested Yolanda Choc Maquin for trying to defend her home
- [Police Brutality Surges Against Defenders and their Families in El Estor](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/11/police-brutality-surges-against-defenders-and-their-families-in-el-estor/) - Under the state of siege in El Estor--declared by President Giammattei and approved by Congress on October 25--community leaders and journalists fear for their lives. As part of a strategy of intimidation, police have followed community members, raided their homes, and harassed their families. The state of siege was imposed after anti-mining protesters were violently
- [Indigenous Environmental Defenders Notably Absent from COP26 Discussions](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/11/indigenous-environmental-defenders-notably-absent-from-cop26-discussions/) - On October 31st, international leaders convened in Glasgow, UK for the 26th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26). For two weeks, global leaders met to “bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.” The sessions will
- [State of Siege Maintained in El Estor Despite Widespread Condemnation](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/11/state-of-siege-maintained-in-el-estor-despite-widespread-condemnation/) - Indigenous Q’eqchi Authorities have announced a strike to begin on November 4 and lasting indefinitely, in protest of the state of siege imposed in El Estor. The state of siege was declared in El Estor following the violent eviction on October 23 of an encampment the community had set up in resistance to an illegal
- [October 29 Human Rights Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/october-29-human-rights-update/) - Congress Approves State of Siege in El Estor After Police Repress Protesters Thousands of police and the military used tear gas and beatings to violently repress the Indigenous Q’eqchi’ resistance to the illegal Fenix nickel mine in El Estor, Izabal on October 23. Community members had camped out to block the passage of mining equipment
- [Police Repress Community in Resistance to Mine, Declare State of Siege in El Estor](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/police-repress-community-in-resistance-to-mine-declare-state-of-siege-in-el-estor/) - On October 22, thousands of Guatemalan security forces--both national police (PNC) and military--arrived at the peaceful resistance to an illegal nickel mine in El Estor, Izabal. Security forces fired tear gas on Indigenous Q’eqchi’ community members and fishermen blocking the passage of mining equipment. Videos recorded by witnesses revealed the excessive use of force, including
- [GHRC Lends Supports to ACOGUATE in Light of Recent Attacks](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/ghrc-lends-supports-to-acoguate-in-light-of-recent-attacks/) - GHRC published a joint statement with Due Process of Law Foundation, Washington Office on Latin America, and Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Initiative in solidarity with the human rights accompaniment organization ACOGUATE. In recognition of the worsening human rights situation–including attacks on both national and international human rights organizations–GHRC supports open pathways for the investigation and reporting of human rights violations
- [Joint Urgent Action Demanding the Immediate End to Excessive Violence by State Security Forces Against the Peacfeul Resistance in El Estor, Izabal](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/joint-urgent-action-demanding-the-immediate-end-to-excessive-violence-by-state-security-forces-against-the-peacfeul-resistance-in-el-estor-izabal/) - English Translation Below URGENT ACTION | GUATEMALA: The State must immediately stop the excessive violence against Maya Q’eqchi’ defenders in peaceful resistance against the illegal nickel project in El Estor. After twenty days of peaceful resistance against the illegal mining of their ancestral territories and the Guatemalan State’s failure to enforce the Constitutional Court’s ruling
- [Members of Congress Push State Department for Stronger Action on Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/members-of-congress-push-state-department-for-stronger-action-on-guatemala/) - The situation for judicial officials and human rights defenders in Guatemala continues to worsen. An update on the congressional Dear Colleague letter can be found below. The letter is out! Thank you for your help! In a letter released October 15, seventeen members of Congress, led by Representative Raul Grijalva and Representative Norma Torres, asked Secretary of State Anthony
- [Supreme Court Targets Pablo Xitumul in Latest Move to Criminalize Independent Judges](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/supreme-court-targets-pablo-xitumul-in-latest-move-to-criminalize-independent-judges/) - On October 6, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled to move forward with preliminary proceedings against Judge Pablo Xitumul of High Risk Court D regarding a traffic violation charge. In 2019, a police officer stopped Xitumul in front of his home and demanded to search his car. When Xitumul refused, a struggle ensued. Both Xitumul
- [GHRC Assists Journalist Detained at Exhumation Site](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/ghrc-assists-journalist-detained-at-exhumation-site/) - The exhumation of a clandestine grave scheduled for September 28 in Chiul, Quiché--a grave believed to contain the bodies of 116 children--was prevented by men who attacked the team of experts, human rights accompaniers, and journalists assembled to oversee the process. The exhumation--headed by the Public Ministry in coordination with the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation
- [Failure to Comply: The Families of Laguna Larga Demand State Action](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/failure-to-comply-the-families-of-laguna-larga-demand-state-action/) - In an October 1 press conference lawyers with the Human Rights Law Firm, representatives of the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA), and Aldo Léon, of Voces Mesoamericanas, reported on a visit conducted this week to the displaced community of Laguna Larga. The group condemned the lack of compliance from the Guatemalan Government in finding a solution
- [Seeking Justice After 9 Years: The Fight for Accountability                                        for the 2012 Massacre in La Cumbre de Alaska](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/seeking-justice-after-9-years-the-fight-for-accountability-for-the-2012-massacre-in-la-cumbre-de-alaska/) - On October 4, 2012, Indigenous Authorities organized a protest that mobilized thousands across the 48 Cantones de Totonicapan. At La Cumbre de Alaska, eighty-nine armed soldiers–under the command of Juan Chiroy–arrived on the scene with orders to break up the protest. Eight soldiers opened fire on the protesters, leaving six dead, forty injured, and one disappeared. Nine years later, the
- [September 24 Human Rights Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/september-24-human-rights-update/) - Land Defender in Jalapa CODECA Leadership Role Shot and Killed Ramon Jiménez Lopéz–human rights and land defender–was killed on September 20 in the community of Volcan La Paz, Santa María Xalapán, Jalapa. After Jiménez failed to return home from work, his family went to search for him and found his body in a ditch. He had been
- [Dear Colleague Letter on Guatemala Calls for Additional US Action](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/10/dear-colleague-letter-on-guatemala-calls-for-additional-us-action/) - The situation in Guatemala has deteriorated, marked by strategic steps made by President Giammettei and Attorney General Consuelo Porras to protect corruption and impunity and silence their opponents. Recent attacks against independent judges and prosecutors and more broadly the rule of law in Guatemala have created a crisis for human rights. Thirteen environmental defenders were killed in 2020,
- [Guatemala Tightens Screws on Judges and Prosecutors Investigating Corruption](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/09/guatemala-tightens-screws-on-judges-and-prosecutors-investigating-corruption/) - Constitutional Court Ruling Leaves Judge Erika Aifán Open to Charges On September 16, , the Constitutional Court rejected an injunction filed by high-risk court judge Erika Aifán, a ruling which leaves her open to charges. Last July the Institute of Appeals Court Judges requested that her immunity be removed in order to open a case
- [Arrest Warrant Issued for Ousted Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Sandoval](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/09/arrest-warrant-issued-for-ousted-anti-corruption-prosecutor-sandoval/) - Last Friday, after accusations made by Guatemala’s Attorney General, a Guatemalan court issued an arrest warrant for Juan Francisco Sandoval, former head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI). The warrant came just a day after Attorney General Consuelo Porras announced that she was launching an investigation into the former prosecutor for “leaking confidential information.” Ousted in
- [September 3 Human Rights Update](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/09/september-3-human-rights-update/) - 2021 on Track to Be Worst Year for Human Rights Defenders in 20 Years According to the Unit for Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Guatemala (UDEFEGUA), in the first half of 2021, human rights defenders have been attacked at a rate suggesting this year may surpass 2020 to become the most violent year for
- [Unrest Grows in Guatemala as Crisis Intensifies](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/09/unrest-grows-in-guatemala-as-crisis-intensifies/) - Widespread protests continued this week, calling for the resignation of President Giammettei and Attorney General Consuelo Porras. The Plurinational Strike began in July and has gained momentum in the last few weeks. On August 13, protesters marched to the Presidential Palace, giving the president and attorney general five days to step down. As the deadline
- [Criminalizing Human Rights: August 17th hearing continues the campaign to discredit journalist Anastasia Mejía and other women defenders from Joyabaj, Quiché.](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/09/criminalizing-human-rights-august-17th-hearing-continues-the-campaign-to-discredit-journalist-anastasia-mejia-and-other-women-defenders-from-joyabaj-quiche/) - Today’s hearing will determine whether the Public Prosecutor’s Office can continue the case against Maya K’iche’ journalist, Anastasia Mejía, as well as Petrona Siy Castro, Sebastiana Pablo Hernández, Micaela Solis, and Tomasa Pastor. All are facing charges related to protests that took place outside of the Joyabaj municipality building on August 24, 2020. Officers from
- [Tensions Escalate as National Strike Continues](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/09/tensions-escalate-as-national-strike-continues/) - In response to Attorney General Consuelo Porras’ dismissal of top anti-corruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval, the Biden administration has taken steps intended as a rebuke. On July 27 the administration announced it had “temporarily paused programmatic cooperation” with the Guatemalan Public Ministry. “Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras’ July 23rd decision to remove Special Prosecutor Against
- [Lead Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Flees into Exile](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2021/05/human-rights-defenders-attend-public-hearing-to-halt-eviction-order/) - Developments in recent days shed light on the intensifying battle for civic space and judicial independence. Lead Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Dismissed The Public Prosecutor’s Office has removed Juan Francisco Sandoval as lead prosecutor for the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity (FECI). According to El Faro, this step taken by Attorney General Consuelo Porras, on July 23,
- [Killings of Defenders Increase Sharply](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2020/10/killings-of-defenders-increase-sharply/) - Restrictions put in place to contain COVID-19 over the past several months, including contraints to free movement and assembly, did nothing to stop attacks on human rights defenders. In fact, such attacks increased as government and private actors appear to have taken advantage of the relative isolation of defenders and their restricted access to human
- [The COVID-19 Crisis in Guatemala and Honduras: as the pandemic takes root, hunger is already growing](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2020/05/the-covid-19-crisis-in-guatemala-and-honduras-as-the-pandemic-takes-root-hunger-is-already-growing/) - April 8, 2020 GHRC reporting from Washington and Guatemala The COVID-19 crisis is hitting Central America’s fragile Northern Triangle--Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador--full force. Though to date relatively few confirmed cases have been reported, a serious food crisis appears to already be underway. As in most of the world, Guatemala's and Honduras’ economies have been
- [](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2020/05/6761/)
- [COVID-19 Presents Broad-Based Crisis in Central America](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2020/04/covid-19-presents-broad-based-crisis-in-central-america/) - The COVID-19 Crisis in Guatemala and Honduras: as the pandemic takes root, hunger is already growing April 8, 2020 GHRC reporting from Washington and Guatemala The COVID-19 crisis is hitting Central America’s fragile Northern Triangle--Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador--full force. Though to date relatively few confirmed cases have been reported, a serious food crisis appears
- [No Relief in Sight:   President Alejandro Giamattei appears to be a new face backed by the same old criminal networks](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2020/01/no-relief-in-sight-president-alejandro-giamattei-appears-to-be-a-new-face-backed-by-the-same-old-criminal-networks/) - January 15, 2020 GHRC President-elect Alejandro Giammattei took office yesterday in Guatemala City. He was never expected to win. After three unsuccessful presidential bids, Giammattei made the runoff Presidential election in August by just one percentage point and only after three candidates had been eliminated through legal actions. His only experience in public office was
- [Rabinal Community Legal Clinic Will Receive the 2019 Alice Zachmann Award](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/12/rabinal-community-legal-clinic-will-receive-the-2019-alice-zachmann-award/) - Join us for the 2019 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award Ceremony Monday, December 16 6:00 PM-8:30 PM St. Stephen Church 1525 Newton St NW Washington, DC 20010 RSVP here . The 2019 recipient of the Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender's Award is the Rabinal Community Legal Clinic. The clinic's legal representative, Paulina Ixpata, will join
- [DavidCastilloReport](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/08/davidcastilloreport/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New Report Implicates Man Accused of Berta Caceres’ Murder in a Pattern of Violence, Human Rights Violations & Corruption to Benefit Associated Companies August 30, 2019 Washington, DC/Geneva Today, a group of expert human rights organizations that have been closely monitoring the Berta Cáceres case in Honduras released, “Violence, Corruption & Impunity
- [Presidential Elections marks highest percentage of citizen abstentionism in Guatemala since the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/08/presidential-elections-marks-highest-percentage-of-citizen-abstentionism-in-guatemala-since-the-signing-of-the-1996-peace-accords/) - **Espanol abajo** Presidential Elections marks highest percentage of citizen abstentionism in Guatemala since the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords You can read our analysis of the June 2019 first round elections here. With only 38% of eligible voters participating, the lowest since Guatemala signed the Peace Accords in 1996, Alejandro Giammattei managed to triple
- [Press Release: Indigenous Authorities, National and International Organizations Denounce Attacks and Defamation by Swiss Mining Company Solway Investment Group in Guatemala; Urge Constitutional Court to Follow Precedent and Shut Down Mine.](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/08/press-release-indigenous-authorities-national-and-international-organizations-denounce-attacks-and-defamation-by-swiss-mining-company-solway-investment-group-in-guatemala-urge-constitutional-court/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Indigenous Authorities, National and International Organizations Denounce Attacks and Defamation by Swiss Mining Company Solway Investment Group in Guatemala; Urge Constitutional Court to Follow Precedent and Shut Down Mine. The same week that Global Witness names the Central American country the deadliest in the world for environmental activists, threats against Maya Q’eqchi
- [Solidarity Organizations Demand that Guatemalan State respect decisions of Constitutional Court](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/07/solidarity-organizations-demand-that-guatemalan-state-respect-decisions-of-constitutional-court/) - On July 25th internationla human rights and solidarity organizations published a letter demanding that the mining operations at CGN’s Fenix Nickel Project be suspended in accordance with a decision by the Constitutional Court. The court temporarily suspended operations because of a petition by Maya Q’eqchi communities alleging that they were not consulted and their right
- [More than 100 organizations support Maya Achi survivors of sexual violence and crimes against humanity](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/07/more-than-100-organizations-support-maya-achi-survivors-of-sexual-violence-and-crimes-against-humanity/) - Read the letter signed by over 100 organizations in support of the courageous Maya Achi women who are bringing their sexual violence and crimes against humanity case forward. In addition to the organizational signatures, more than 100 individuals from around the world signed on to the letter. Last week, the women and their lawyers presented
- [Elections Analysis: Parties implicated in corruption will face off for the presidency and dominate congress but it was the strongest showing yet by opposition parties](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/06/parties-implicated-in-corruption-will-face-off-for-the-presidency-dominate-congress-strongest-showing-yet-by-opposition-parties/) - Download a PDF of this elections analysis here As expected, Sunday’s general elections in Guatemala resulted in a run-off for the presidency between former First Lady Sandra Torres (National Unity of Hope - UNE - party) and four-time presidential candidate Alejandro Giamattei (Vamos Party). The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) reports that Torres took the lead
- [GHRC Delegation Reports on 2018 Killings](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/05/6529/) - 2018 Emergency Delegation - Full Report Here. From July 12-16, 2018, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC/USA) coordinated an emergency delegation to Guatemala after the international community was alerted to intensified violence and a series of murders targeted at human rights activists and Indigenous land defenders. The delegation, made up of human rights and justice
- [Constitutional Court rulings end presidential candidacies for anti-corruption campaigner and genocide denier](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/05/constitutional-court-rulings-end-presidential-candidacies-for-anti-corruption-campaigner-and-genocide-denier/) - Guatemala’s top court issued three separate rulings that seeming cleared the path to the presidency for former first lady Sandra Torres by allowing her candidacy to continue and eliminating her two nearest competitors. Zury Rios and Thelma Aldana were struck down as candidates in the June 16 first round elections. However the court’s rulings may
- [Eduardo Bin: On trial for occupying land he visited once](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/05/eduardo-bin-on-trial-for-occupying-land-he-visited-once/) - Eduardo Bin Pouu is a Maya Q’eqchi' fisherman who grew up along the shores of Lake Izabal in a community called San Pablo in the municipality of El Estor. Approximately 17 years ago palm oil corporations moved into the Polochic Valley, where Q’eqchi' communities had long been arbitrarily denied land titles they had rights to.
- [Bernardo Caal: Hearing held behind closed doors](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/05/bernardo-caal-hearing-held-behind-closed-doors/) - Bernardo Caal Xol is a Q’eqchi' teacher from Alta Verapaz who was sentenced to seven years and four months in November 2018 by a court in Coban for theft and illegal detention. The courts in Coban, capital of Alta Verapaz, have regularly demonstrated a lack of transparency, independence and impartiality. Just last week in a
- [Observations of Abelino Chub Trial](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/05/observations-of-abelino-chub-trial/) - You can download a PDF version of this report here Between April 22 and 26, GHRC staff observed the trial of Abelino Chub Caal, a Maya Q’eqchi land defender in Guatemala. Abelino Chub was arrested on February 4, 2017 after the CXI Corporation and Cobra Investments, banana and palm companies, charged that he had led
- [Trial of Maya Q’eqchi Land Defender Abelino Chub](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/04/trial-of-maya-qeqchi-land-defender-abelino-chub/) - Abelino Chub was found not guilty of all charges on April 26, 2019. The trial which proceeded the verdict lasted for three days. You can read a day by day description of the trial or download a pdf of each day, Day One, Day Two, Day Three. DAY ONE Earth Day, April 22, 2019
- [More than 130 Organizations Condemn the Criminalization of Abelino Chub](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/04/more-than-130-organizations-condemn-the-criminalization-of-abelino-chub/) - As Maya Q’eqchi land defender Abelino Chub Caal awaits the verdict in his trial over 130 organizations from around the globe published a letter urging the Guatemalan state to stop the prosecution of Abelino and immediately set him free. The letter also asks Guatemala to guarantee the rights of the indigenous and peasant communities, as
- [Solidarity Activists Demand the Release of Abelino Chub](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2019/04/solidarity-activists-demand-the-release-of-abelino-chub/) - As the trial for renowned Maya Q’eqchi land defender Abelino Chub wraps up, more than 500 people from 27 countries and indigenous nations have sent a petition to Guatemalan Attorney General Dr. Maria Consuelo Porras calling for the immediate release of Abelino Chub Caal, Maya Q’eqchi land defender who has been arbitrarily detained for more
- [Learn More About GHRC's Mission:](http://givinglibrary.org/organizations/guatemala-human-rights-commission-usa) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) is a non-profit, grassroots, solidarity organization dedicated to promoting human rights in Guatemala and supporting communities and activists who face threats and violence. GHRC documents and denounces abuses, educates the international community, and advocates for policies that foster peace and justice.
- [Your Gifts Through Dec. 31 Will be Matched!](https://org.salsalabs.com/o/2690/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=13169) - Every dollar you give through December 31, 2015 will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000! Please consider supporting GHRC during the holiday season. You probably saw the incredible news of sustained, peaceful protests over the summer that culminated in the arrest of former President Molina, Vice President Baldetti, and other officials in his
- [Support GHRC on Dec. 1 for #GivingTuesday](https://org.salsalabs.com/o/2690/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=13012) - We have a day for giving thanks, and two for getting deals. Now we've also started a new tradition of generosity: #GivingTuesday -- a movement that started in 2012 to bring giving into the kickoff of the holiday season. This December 1 -- the Tuesday after Thanksgiving -- we'll celebrate this global day dedicated to
- [Join us for our 2015 Human Rights Defenders Award Ceremony!](https://org.salsalabs.com/o/2690/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=84932) - GHRC is proud to announce that this year’s Alice Zachmann Human Rights Award will be presented to the community media group Prensa Comunitaria (Community Press). Read more about Prensa Comunitaria here Leer más sobre Prensa Comunitaria en español aquí GHRC selected Prensa Comunitaria for its commitment to grassroots journalism and its focus on documenting important
- [Join GHRC on October 7!](https://org.salsalabs.com/o/2690/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=84899) - On behalf of our Board of Directors, please join GHRC on October 7, 2015 to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and recognize the important contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. GHRC will be hosting an evening of great music and food at Haydee’s restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet other supporters
- [Sign the Petition: Tell KCA to Suspend Illegal Mining Operations](https://www.change.org/p/kappes-cassiday-amp-associates-kca-suspend-illegal-operations-at-the-el-tambor-mine) - Please sign our Change.org petition now to urge KCA to suspend construction on its El Tambor mine. US mining company Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA) and its Guatemalan subsidiary have pushed forward the El Tambor mining project in Guatemala despite overwhelming community opposition – and without consulting local residents about the project, as required under Guatemalan
- [Apply for a Voiceless Speak Fund Grant](http://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/voiceless-speak-fund-fondo-voiceless-speak/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA is once again offering grants to Guatemalans in the US through our Voiceless Speak Fund. The Fund provides direct assistance to Guatemalans interested in educating the US public about the human rights situation in Guatemala or organizing in their community in the US to defend the rights of Guatemalans living
- [Call for Investigation into Killings of Indigenous Activists](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2015/04/call-for-investigation-into-killings-of-indigenous-activists/) - Over the last few months, indigenous activists in northern Huehuetenango have experienced a series of threats, criminalization and attacks for their defense of indigenous rights and their opposition to hydroelectric dams and other large-scale projects planned for the region. 20-year old Pascual Basilio Pascual Diego was seriously injured in Santa Eulalia on January 20, 2015,
- [Winter 2014-2015 Issue of El Quetzal Now Available](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2015/02/winter-2014-2015-issue-of-el-quetzal-now-available/) - GHRC's Winter 2014-2015 issue of El Quetzal highlights continued challenges regarding the defense of land rights and provides updates from a slew of important human rights cases. The issue also includes a report back from our Fall 2014 Speaker's Tour with Miriam Pixtún and our 2014 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award, as well as reflections
- [Conviction of ex-police chief in 1980 Spanish Embassy attack](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2015/01/conviction-of-ex-police-chief-in-1980-spanish-embassy-attack/) - Nearly 35 years after the attack on the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala, former police chief Pedro García Arredondo was found guilty on January 19, 2015 of orchestrating the 1980 burning of the embassy. Arredondo was sentenced to 40 years in prison for crimes against humanity, murder and attempted murder. He received an additional 50 years
- [Stand with La Puya this Sunday](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2015/01/stand-with-la-puya-this-sunday/)
- [Double Your Impact!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/12/double-your-impact/) - Last year we successfully deployed various strategies for promoting human rights in Guatemala. We provided detailed analysis of the human rights situation with a focus on women and other vulnerable groups. We monitored and reported on cases from the internal armed conflict and helped raise the profile of environmental struggles like La Puya. We successfully
- [Take Action: Tell US companies to respect human rights abroad!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/10/join-us-along-our-spring-speakers-tour/) - From November 4-14, GHRC accompanied human rights defender and environmental activist Miriam Pixtún on a tour in the Midwest of the US. The tour culminated with a day of action in Reno, Nevada -- home of the US mining company, Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA). GHRC joined environmental activists based in and around Reno to
- [Attend Our Human Rights Defenders Award Ceremony This Fall](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/09/attend-our-human-rights-defenders-award-ceremony-this-fall/) - GHRC is proud to announce that this year’s Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender Award will be presented to the Guatemalan Human Rights Law Firm. Join us for a reception to celebrate the courageous efforts of these dedicated lawyers, and hear from Attorney Edgar Pérez who helped prosecute former Head of State Ríos Montt for genocide
- [Tell Congress: Protect Central American Children](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/07/take-action-this-friday-rally-to-protect-central-american-children/) - Each week, hundreds of Central American children, many unaccompanied, are arriving at the U.S. border. When they get here, they have already survived a long and perilous journey through Mexico, where extortion, kidnapping, rape, and murder are common; many survive these horrors only to die crossing the U.S. desert. Often these children make the journey
- [TELL SECRETARY KERRY: NO US FUNDS TO THE GUATEMALAN ARMY! ](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/06/tell-secretary-kerry-no-us-funds-to-the-guatemalan-army/) - Send an email to Secretary Kerry urging him to maintain restrictions on military aid Guatemala’s UN Truth Commission report not only attributes 93% of all human rights violations and acts of violence to the Guatemalan State, which included over 600 massacres, it also finds the US responsible for playing a large role in providing military
- [Join GHRC in Guatemala this August!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/04/join-our-august-delegation-to-guatemala/) - DATES: AUGUST 16-23, 2014 | Download the application Women have been on the front lines in the struggle for justice in Guatemala. They have, for example, broken through the wall of impunity that has long plagued Guatemala and brought powerful military officials to trial for crimes committed during the internal armed conflict. Along with great advances,
- [Join Our Spring Speaker's Tour!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/03/join-ghrc-for-our-spring-speakers-tour/) - From March 31-April 11, GHRC will accompany Makrina Gudiel on a tour along the East Coast of the US. Many Guatemalans lost loved ones during the internal armed conflict. For Makrina, it was her brother, who was disappeared in 1983 by state forces and is included in the infamous Military Diary -- a logbook that
- [Solidarity with La Puya: Sign Our Letter!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/02/support-la-puya-sign-our-letter-of-solidarity/) - SUPPORT LA PUYA BY SIGNING OUR LETTER OF SOLIDARITY NOW! On March 2, 2012 courageous men and women from the communities of San Jose del Golfo and San Pedro Ayumpuc joined together in opposition to the construction of a gold mine near their homes. Their concern is that the US-owned mining operation will negatively impact
- [Our Work This Year](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2014/02/our-work-in-2013/) - In 2013, GHRC provided direct support to over 246 human rights defenders; coordinated over 30 advocacy meetings with congressional offices, as well as the State, Defense, and Justice Departments; provided support in 20 asylum cases; monitored 8 conflicts across Guatemala through verification trips; and held 12 public events. Read our full annual report here.
- [GHRC's 2013 Human Rights Defenders Award Presented to UDEFEGUA](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/12/view-highlights-from-our-2013-human-rights-defenders-award-presentation/) - GHRC is proud to present the 2013 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award to the Guatemalan Human Rights Defenders Unit (UDEFEGUA). The award was formally presented by GHRC on November 14, 2013 to Claudia Samayoa, coordinator for UDEFEGUA, who accepted the award on behalf of her organization. Highlights from the award can be seen below:
- [Support GHRC Dec. 3rd on #GivingTuesday!](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/11/support-ghrc-december-3rd-on-givingtuesday/) - Please consider supporting GHRC this December 3rd for #GivingTuesday -- a national day of giving -- by making a donation or volunteering at our #GivingTuesday event!
- [Sign the Petition to Stop the Drug War in Central America & Mexico](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/11/sign-the-petition-to-stop-the-deadly-drug-war-in-central-america-mexico/) - Mexico and Central America face extreme levels of violence since the war on drugs was intensified in the region. The rule of law has deteriorated as a result of the battles between drug cartels, with the involvement of often corrupt state security forces. The use of torture, violence against women, human rights violations and extrajudicial
- [GHRC Honors This Year's Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award Recipient](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/11/ghrc-honors-this-years-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award-recipient/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission will hold a reception on November 14, 2013 to present our second annual Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award to the Guatemalan Human Rights Defenders Protection Unit (UDEFEGUA). The event will be held at the All Souls Church located at 1500 Harvard Street NW in Washington, DC. This event is
- [Peaceful Protesters under Siege in Huehuetenango](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/10/peaceful-protesters-under-siege-in-huehuetenango/) - Communities in Huehuetenango are under siege by Guatemalan military and police. The security forces were sent to break up peaceful protests in reaction to the illegal detention of a local resident. Several people have already been injured and we fear that there could be further violence. Learn how you can help prevent violence against peaceful
- [Massacre Outside Guatemala City Kills 11, Wounds Over 12](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/09/massacre-outside-guatemala-city-kills-11-wounds-over-12/) - Please stand in solidarity with the people of San José Nacahuil. Email Interior Minister López Bonilla and President Pérez Molina to let them know that you demand a thorough investigation, justice for those killed and wounded, and respect for this community. On Saturday September 7, a massacre devastated the town of San José Nacahuil. Unknown men marched
- [GHRC's Voiceless Speak Fund](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/06/ghrcs-voiceless-speak-fund/) - Tenemos el gusto de anunciar que la GHRC está ofreciendo becas para guatemaltec@s a traves de nuestro Fondo Voiceless Speak. El Fondo brinda asistencia directa a individuos guatemaltecos quienes están interesados en educar al público estadounidense acerca de la situación de los derechos humanos in Guatemala o quienes están organizando en su comunidad en los
- [Travel to Guatemala this August with GHRC's Delegation](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/05/travel-to-guatemala-this-august/) - Women in Resistance: Seeking Justice for Genocide and Defending our Lands Women across Guatemala are organizing to defend their rights. They are combating violence and destructive large-scale development projects and demanding justice for genocide and other crimes of the past. As a result, they have been victim to ongoing attacks, repression and criminalization. Meet these
- [URGENT ACTION: Stand in solidarity with genocide survivors ](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/04/urgent-action-stand-in-solidarity-with-genocide-survivors/) - The Genocide Case has been stalled, and is at risk of being annulled. Please act now to make a historic stand in solidarity with the Ixil people and all Guatemalans who seek justice! Sign the petition TODAY. Over the last month, over 100 Ixil Mayan survivors of genocide have risked their lives to
- [Genocide Trial: How to be part of this historic process](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/03/genocide-trial-how-to-be-part-of-this-historic-process/) - On March 19, 2013, the Genocide trial began in Guatemala. Efraín Ríos Montt, along with his head of military intelligence, José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, are accused of ordering operations in the Ixil triangle which included the slaughter of 1,771 Guatemalans displacing 29,000 and 1,485 acts of sexual violence. How to stay informed about the trial
- [March 2013 Speakers Tour with Lolita Chávez](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/2013/02/march-2013-speakers-tour-with-lolita-chavez/) - Lolita Chávez Ixcaquic is spokesperson for the K’iche’ People’s Council, (CPK in Spanish), an organization which represents 87 Mayan communities in the department of Quiché, Guatemala. GHRC will accompany her on a speaking tour in the Washington, D.C. metro area March 25th-31st. Lolita will discuss her communities’ struggle for self-determination and control over their land

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/)
- [El Quetzal](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/el-quetzal-2/) - 2026 Issue 29, Summer 2026 2025 Issue 28, Winter 2025 Issue 27, Summer 2025 2024 Issue 26, Winter 2024 Issue 25, Summer 2024 2023 Issue 24, Winter 2023 Issue 23, Summer 2023 2022 Issue 22, Winter 2022 Issue 21, Summer 2022 2021 Issue 20, Winter 2021 2015 Issue 19, Summer 2015 2014 Issue 18, Winter
- [Monthly Updates](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/monthly-updates/) - March 2026 February 2026 December 2025-January 2025 December 2025 Guatemala Elections Summary October 2025 July-August 2025 July 2025: Interview with Eva Siomara Sosa (English Translation) Entrevista con Eva Siomara Sosa (Español) July 2023: Interview with Raúl Molina Mejía Elections Fact Sheet Elections July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January
- [Genocide in the Ixil Triangle](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/genocide-cases/genocide-in-the-ixil-triangle/) - “There was death every day” - Juan, genocide survivor - In Guatemala’s Ixil triangle, during the early morning hours, the smoke from countless cooking fires rises to meet the misty fog that rolls down from the mountains. The result is a swirling whiteness that swallows everything… all color, all shapes, all detail. For over thirty
- [Alice Zachmann's 100th Birthday](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/alice-zachmanns-100th-birthday/)
- [Fact Sheets](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/fact-sheets/) - 2026 March 2026 Guatemala at a New Institutional Crossroads: Local Elections and the Future of the Justice System (English Version) Marzo 2026 Guatemala en una encrucijada institutional: Las elecciones locales y el futuro del sistema judicial (Versión Español) February 2026 Quick Take: Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez On the Elections in Guatemala and the Ongoing Detention
- [Urgent Actions](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/urgent-actions/) - URGENT ACTION 02/23/26 State of Siege in Guatemala Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has instituted a state of emergency in Guatemala following a series of police killings carried out by gang members. The specific state of emergency he has implemented, called a state of siege, implies the suspension of certain constitutional rights. Arévalo declared the state
- [Work at GHRC](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/work-at-ghrc/) - Internships The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) offers unpaid fall, spring and summer internships. We are regularly seeking interns to work with our Washington, DC and Guatemala City offices. Interns are integral to our work, providing substantive support to our publications, research on key human rights topics and program and campaign development. Depending on their
- [Who We Are](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/staff/) - Director of Outreach & Development, Washington OfficeVeronica Serrano Tamaveronicaserranotama@ghrc-usa.orgVeronica has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to international development and human rights in Latin America. She holds an LL.M. in National and Global Health Law from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.S. in International and Transnational Law from the University of La Rioja, a certificate in fundraising
- [ASSASSINATION OF BISHOP GERARDI](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/assassination-of-bishop-gerardi/) - Before his death in 1998, Roman Catholic Archbishop and human rights defender Juan José Gerardi Conedera was one of the strongest voices speaking out against the atrocities committed during the internal armed conflict. Following the January 1980 burning of the Spanish Embassy which resulted in the death of some 39 people, Gerardi, then Bishop of
- [Subscribe to Our Newsletter](http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2690/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=3060) - To receive the latest news and learn how you can support human rights in Guatemala, click on this link and sign up!
- [Get Involved](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/) - Join the GHRC mailing list Donate and volunteer Join a delegation Upcoming Events
- [History and Timeline](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/history/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) was founded in 1982 amid the turmoil of Guatemala’s internal armed conflict. Founder Sister Alice Zachmann, SSND, first traveled to Guatemala in 1975, and again in 1979, where she was struck by the incredible levels of poverty and discrimination among Guatemala’s peoples. Compelled to help, Sister Alice resigned from
- [Dos Erres Massacre](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/dos-erres-massacre/) - In December 1982, during the de facto administration of Ríos Montt, approximately 300 residents of Dos Erres, Libertad, Petén were murdered by the Guatemalan military’s special Kaibil Unit. Of those killed 113 were children under the age of 14. The soldiers began with babies, throwing them down wells in the town. Next, the women and
- [Donate](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/donate/) - Our work is overwhelmingly funded by individual donors, and your support makes a huge difference. Your contribution helps us document and denounce human rights violations, support communities and defenders in their struggle for their rights, and advocate for systemic and positive change. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps us protect and defend those on
- [Donate](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/donations/) - GHRC documents and denounces human rights violations, supports communities and defenders in their struggle for their rights, and advocates for positive, systemic change in Guatemala. Our work is overwhelmingly funded by individual donors, and your support makes a huge difference. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps us protect and defend those on the front
- [Women's History Month](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/international-womens-day/) - These Brave, Visionary, and Determined Women Inspire Us Every Day International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8th, is dedicated to the fight for equality, participation, and empowerment of women in all areas of society. We take this opportunity to acknowledge the injustices, discrimination, femicide, and lack of opportunities women face worldwide, particularly in Guatemala.
- [Internships](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/internships-2/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) offers fall, spring, and summer internships. GHRC, founded in 1982, is a non-profit, grassroots, solidarity organization dedicated to promoting human rights in Guatemala and supporting communities and activists who face threats and violence. GHRC documents and denounces abuses, educates the international community, and advocates for policies that foster peace
- [Upcoming Events](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/events/) - You may also RSVP using here! VIEW PAST GHRC EVENTS
- [Alice Zachmann Defenders Fund](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/alice-zachmann-defenders-fund/) - In 1982, Sister Alice Zachmann established GHRC and embarked on what is now a 42-year endeavour to defend and advance human rights in Guatemala. From day one, Alice and GHRC have been dedicated to documenting and reporting the situation on the ground, as well as supporting the work of human rights defenders. Responding to the
- [The Alice Zachmann Defenders Fund](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/support-for-human-rights-defenders/https-guatemalahumanrightscommission-salsalabs-org-thankyouforsupportingghrc-index-html/) - GHRC honors our founder, Sister Alice Zachmann, on her 97th birthday. GHRC honra a nuestra fundadora, la hermana Alice Zachmann, en su 97 cumpleaños. Haga clic en el botón siguiente para ver la traducción al español de la página web Traducción al español In 1982, Sister Alice Zachmann established GHRC and embarked on what is
- [Human Rights Reviews and Updates](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/human-rights-reviews/) - Human Rights UPDATE 2024 Volume 26, Number 3, October 2024 Volume 26, Number 2, September 2024 Volume 26, Number 1, September 2024 2023 Volume 25, Number 3, March 2023 Volume 25, Number 2, February 2023 Volume 25, Number 1, January 2023 2022 Volume 24, Number 10, December 2022 Volume 24, Number 9, October/November 2022 Volume
- [GHRC Archive](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/) - Welcome to the GHRC archive! Here you can find links to past articles, events, delegation visits, speakers, and more. Jump to past: Articles Delegations Events and Speakers Urgent Actions
- [GHRC Hosts K’iche’ Community Leader Lolita Chávez](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/ghrc-hosts-kiche-community-leader-lolita-chavez/) - Published in El Quetzal Issue 14, May 2013 Lolita Chávez Ixcaquic returned to her home in Santa Cruz del Quiché after a month-long tour of Canada and Washington, DC, where she spoke about her experience as a community leader working to defend the rights of the K’iche’ people. Lolita served as spokesperson for the
- [SPRING SPEAKER'S TOUR HIGHLIGHTS MAKRINA GUDIEL'S SEARCH FOR JUSTICE](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/spring-speakers-tour-highlights-makrina-gudiels-search-for-justice/) - By Kathryn Johnson, GHRC Assistant Director On April 1st, Makrina stood at the front of a packed room at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and recounted her family’s fight for true democracy in her native Guatemala despite decades of devastating violence. She described growing up with the teachings of her father, Florentin, who combined a
- [Past Urgent Actions](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-urgent-actions/) - Support La Puya: Tell KCA to Suspend Illegal Operations at the El Tambor Mine (This petition has been closed, but can be viewed here.) In July 2015, a Guatemalan court ruled in favor of members of the peaceful resistance movement La Puya, ordering EXMINGUA -- a subsidiary of US mining company Kappes, Cassiday & Associates
- [Articles of Interest](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/) - April 8, 2020: The Covid-19 crisis in Guatemala and Honduras: as the pandemic takes root, hunger is already growing January 15, 2020: No Relief in Sight: Alejandro Giamattei appears to be new face backed by the same criminal networks August 30, 2019: Press Release: New Report on David Castillo, indicted for Berta Caceres' murder, shows
- [Delegation Packing List](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/delegations/delegation-packing-list/) - **Include a change of clothes, vital toiletries, and any medication in a carry on bag in case your luggage is lost or arrives late. Items to Bring Please do not come without: Debit/credit card – ATM machines are the best way to access Guatemalan currency Health insurance card/information Passport & a photocopy of your passport
- [Past Delegations](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/pastdelegations/) - Past Delegations Emergency Human Rights Delegation - July 23 - 30, 2022 From July 23-30, 2022, we are hosting an Emergency Delegation to Guatemala to document the broad-based and intensifying attack on human rights. Our partners in Guatemala have asked us to visibilize their struggles in the face of threats, criminalization, and increased violence. Join
- [General Resources](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/general-resources/) - Historical Peace Accords -- The agreements formalized in 1996 are still the framework for Guatemala´s post-war transition, but they have been only partially implemented. The current crisis is an opportunity to focus on important steps that haven't been taken. UN Historical Clarification Commission Report -- This document, published after a few years of investigation and interviews, is probably the
- [Delegation FAQs](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/delegations/faqs/) - JUMP TO: General travel in Guatemala GHRC delegations: Getting started GHRC delegations: Fundraising and payments GHRC delegations: The delegation experience General Travel in Guatemala Q: What are the passport and visa requirements? A: For citizens of most countries, a valid passport is all that is required for travel to Guatemala. For many countries, including the
- [Delegations](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/delegations/) - What is a GHRC Delegation? The Guatemala Human Rights Commission has historically led a delegation to Guatemala each year. Trips focus on human rights defenders, violence against women, and root causes of migration. GHRC delegates meet with a range of governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as community leaders, both in the capital and indigenous
- [Past Events](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/) - Trivia Night @ Solly's Tavern (February 22, 2022) Join us next Wednesday, February 22 at Solly's Tavern for Trivia night! Doors open at 7 and trivia begins at 8. 10% of all sales will go towards GHRC. RVSP here. Fortieth Anniversary and Presentation of 2022 Alice Zachmann Awards For 40 years, GHRC has been
- [Spring 2015 Speaker's Tour](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/spring-2015-speakers-tour/) - Gabriela Rivera: Women and Transitional Justice in Guatemala From April 12-20, GHRC will accompany human rights lawyer Gabriela Rivera on a speaking tour in Oregon and Washington, DC. Gabriela Rivera is a member of the Association of Women Transforming the World (MTM), a part of the Alliance for Breaking the Silence and Ending Impunity. This
- [Spring 2014 Speaker's Tour](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/spring-2014-speakers-tour-makrina-gudiel/) - Makrina Gudiel: Seeking Justice for Crimes of the Past in Guatemala From March 31-April 11, GHRC will accompany Makrina Gudiel on a tour on the East Coast of the US. Background on Makrina | Schedule of Events Many Guatemalans lost loved ones during that country’s civil war. For Makrina, it was her brother, who was
- [November 2013 Speaking Tour](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/november-2013-speaking-tour/) - GHRC Presents: The Siege on Indigenous Women Lorena Cabnal on the Protection of Body and Land Schedule of Events: November 18 at 7:00 pm: Houston, Texas [Maryknoll House, 230 Rice Blvd, Houston, TX 77005] November 19 at 6:00
- [Fall 2015 Speaker's Tour](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/fall-2015-speakers-tour/) - Community Voices for Change Lorenzo Mateo Francisco, a member of the community news agency Prensa Comunitaria and the coordinator of the Snuq' Jolom Konob' community radio station in Santa Eulalia, will speak about the importance of and repression against community journalism in Guatemala. Lorenzo is also an indigenous leader and will share information about local
- [Fall 2014 Speaker's Tour: Miriam Pixtún](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/fall-2014-speakers-tour-miriam-pixtun/) - Reclaiming Our Rights and Our Dignity: The Struggles of Maya Kaqchikel and Mestizo Communities in Guatemala From November 4-14, GHRC will accompany Miriam Pixtún on a tour in the Midwest of the US. In September of 2013, the town of Nacahuil -- a Maya Kaqchikel community located about one hour from Guatemala City -- suffered
- [40th Anniversary](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/past-events/40th-anniversary/) - Join us on November 3rd to celebrate 4 decades of work for human rights in Guatemala! We began work on September 20, 1982, at the height of the armed conflict in Guatemala, with the urgent task of informing policymakers and the US public about the atrocities being committed in Guatemala with our tax dollars and our
- [Social Media Feed](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/social-media-feed/)
- [The Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/support-for-human-rights-defenders/the-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award/) - The Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender’s Award recognizes an individual, organization or community who has demonstrated a commitment to promoting respect for human rights, even when confronted by threats and violence. The award serves as a means to highlight the struggle of the recipient on an international level and aims to protect human rights defenders at risk
- [GHRC Blog](https://ghrcusa.wordpress.com/) - For news and analysis on Guatemala, visit our blog here. CLICK ON THE BOX ABOVE TO READ OUR BLOG.
- [Resources](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/) - Tracking Human Rights Maps show documenting the location of military bases, development projects and attacks on human rights defenders. History of Guatemala A brief outline of Guatemala's history including the internal conflict, and the issues the country currently faces. Emblematic Cases Important human rights cases that GHRC has monitored. GHRC Publications
- [GHRC Publications](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/) - El Quetzal El Quetzal is a publication covering GHRC's work, recent news and human rights updates from Guatemala, and much more. Fact Sheets Learn about Guatemala, and have some facts at your fingertips, with these quick reference guides that include detailed information on issues such as immigration, femicide, human rights defenders, drug trafficking, gangs, and more.
- [Contact Us](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/contact-us-2/) - Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA In the USA:3321 12th St., NEWashington, DC 20017 Phone: (202) 998-2191 In Guatemala: Avenida Simeon Canas 6-48 Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala, C.A. Phone: 4991-7780, 2254-5840 General Email: ghrc-usa@ghrc-usa.org *** Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest Visit our blog. *** Click here to sign up to receive email updates from GHRC about
- [Reports](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/other-publications/) - Delegation Reports Delegation Report: Verification on the Status of Mining Activities in El Estor - February 2022 GHRC Emergency Delegation Report 2022" - Report Back from GHRC's 2022 Emergency Human Rights Delegation to Guatemala Corruption and Human Rights Violations Chapin Abajo Report Back Final - December 2022 Under Assault in Guatemala: Journalists & Indigenous &
- [Thematic Areas of Focus](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/themes/) - GHRC has historically monitored and provided analysis of five thematic areas that have affected human rights: militarization, access to land, justice and historic memory, women's rights, and criminalization and impunity. As these five themes become increasingly intertwined, we continue to monitor these themes through our advocacy on general conditions and case-specific work and support of
- [Videos](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/videos/) - 2022 Emergency Human Rights Delegation Documentary From July 23 - 30, GHRC hosted a delegation of human rights academics, experts, and activists to Guatemala to document the impact of democratic backsliding on human rights defenders. We traveled from Guatemala City, East to El Estor, up to Alta Verapaz, down to Coban and returned to Guatemala
- [Support for Defenders](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/support-for-human-rights-defenders/) - GHRC responds to threats and attacks against human rights defenders, providing direct support, advocacy and solidarity. Decades after the signing of the Peace Accords, human rights violations in Guatemala have once again reached wartime levels. In the face of rampant impunity for past and present crimes, organized crime, corruption, and government complicity with ongoing abuses,
- [Recent Attacks on Land Rights Activists Raise Alarm](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/recent-attacks-on-land-rights-activists-raise-alarm/) - Published in El Quetzal Issue 14, May 2013 While the world watches the genocide trial in Guatemala, indigenous peoples and human rights defenders today are suffering persecution very similar to that perpetrated in the 1980s. During the internal armed conflict, those who spoke out to defend their rights were systematically assassinated by the State.
- [Human Rights Abuses Related to African Palm Oil Production / Repsa "Ecocide" Case](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/african-palm-oil-production-repsa-ecocide-case/) - Related Updates | Urgent Actions On September 18, 2015, Rigoberto Lima Choc was shot while outside of a local courthouse in Sayaxché, Petén, just one day after a Guatemalan judge ordered the palm oil company Reforestadora Palma de Petén S.A. (REPSA) to suspend its operations for six months. Many outlets have reported the likely connection between Lima’s assassination and
- ['La Puya' Environmental Movement](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/lapuya/) - Since March 2, 2012, residents from around the proposed site of the El Tambor Mine had maintained a peaceful, 24-hour blockade at the entrance to the mine, which is owned by the Reno-based engineering firm Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA). Residents are concerned about the health and environmental impacts of the mine and they are
- [Polochic Evictions](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/polochic/) - In a series of violent, forced evictions that took place starting March 15, 2011, almost 800 families from 12 communities were displaced in the Polochic Valley and left with nothing. Their eviction was demanded by the Widmann family, owners of the Chabil Utzaj sugar refinery, and recent financial backer Grupo Pellas from Nicaragua. A day
- [After the Massacre: The Struggle for A New Security Model in San José Nacahuil](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/after-the-massacre-the-struggle-for-a-new-security-model-in-san-jose-nacahuil/) - A winding, one-hour journey into the mountains that surround Guatemala City leads, down dirt roads, to the quiet town of San José Nacahuil. A church, school, and meeting hall dot the main square here; children play outside while residents tend to small bodegas. About 7,500 people live in this Maya Kaqchikel community – the only
- [Totonicapán](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/totonicapan/) - On October 4, 2012, approximately 15,000 members of the indigenous communities in Totonicapán, Guatemala gathered to block five key transit points on the Pan-American Highway. Organized by the 48 Cantones of Totonicapán, the protests denounced the excessive electricity prices, changes to the professional teacher training requirements, and proposed constitutional reforms. Community leaders were also meeting
- [Santa Cruz Barillas](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/santa-cruz-barillas/) - Beginning in 2007, Mayan communities around the Cambalam River overwhelmingly began rejecting large-scale development projects, including hydroelectric dams and mining activities, for both the ecological and cultural impacts they would have in the region. In a community meeting held in Barillas on June 23, 2007, the community expressed its opposition to the proposed Cambalam hydroelectric
- [Sepur Zarco Sexual Slavery Case](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/sepur-zarco/) - In July of 1982, the army constructed a military outpost for “rest and relaxation” in Sepur Zarco (between Panzos and El Estor) and assigned a regiment of soldiers there. Over a period of six years, the military ordered women from surrounding communities to report to the base to serve the soldiers, and to cook and
- [Genocide Cases](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/genocide-cases/) - On May 10, 2013, Guatemala's former dictator, Efraín Ríos Montt, became the first head of state in Latin America to be convicted in domestic courts of genocide and crimes against humanity. After a year of delays by the defense, the case went to trial on March 19, 2013. However, the guilty verdict was annulled just
- [Everardo Bámaca Case](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/everardo-bamaca-case/) - Jennifer Harbury, a lawyer from Texas, lived in Guatemala from 1985-1986, monitoring and reporting the ongoing human rights violations against indigenous Guatemalans. She returned repeatedly during the following years, and in 1991 visited a base camp in Volcán Tajumulco to interview female URNG (Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity) combatants for her first book, Bridge of Courage
- [The Burning of the Spanish Embassy Case](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/the-burning-of-the-spanish-embassy-case/) - The 1980 burning of the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala was an assault by Guatemalan security forces that left 37 dead. After a decades-long search for justice, Pedro García Arredondo was found guilty on January 19, 2015 of orchestrating the massacre. He was sentenced to a total of 90 years in prison. History of the Case
- [Plan de Sanchez Massacre](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/plan-de-sanchez/) - On July 18 th, 1982 armed forces, paramilitaries, and civil self-defense patrols (‘Patrullas de Autodefensa Civil’, or PACs) brutally massacred over 250 people in Plan de Sanchez, a remote Maya Achi community in northern Guatemala, outside of Rabinal, Baja Verapaz. The year of the massacre is considered one of the bloodiest of the internal armed
- [Murder of Fernando García](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/fernando-garcia/) - Edgar Fernando García was only one of almost 40,000 civilians forcibly disappeared by the Guatemalan state during the internal conflict, however his case has become emblematic in Guatemala’s process of historic memory and the eradication of impunity. Recently declassified archives have brought to light important details that have resulted in an attempt to bring García’s
- [Murder of Myrna Mack](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/myrna-mack/) - September 11, 2010 marked the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Myrna Mack. In an interview with La Hora, Helen Mack - Myrna's sister and the director of the Myrna Mack Foundation - stressed the importance of historical memory and justice: "Twenty years later we continue the fight against impunity...because the impunity of the past
- [Rio Negro Massacres](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/rio-negro/) - Five massacres occurred in the Rio Negro (“Black River”) communities between 1980 and 1982. The people of Rio Negro (named after the nearby river) had occupied the region since the classic Mayan age and owned 1,440 hectares of land. During the energy crisis of the 1970’s the Guatemalan government looked for local energy alternatives,
- [Dianna Ortiz Memorial](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/https-www-ghrc-usa-org-2021-02-diana-ortiz-memorial-page/) - Dianna Ortiz, OSU, died on February 19, 2021, at 62 years old. She fought for the rights of all and fought bravely. We are proud and honored to have had her on staff and in our hearts at GHRC. Dianna worked at the Guatemala Human Rights Commission from 1994 to 2002. A survivor
- [Disappearance of Marco Antonio Molina Theissen](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/disappearance-of-marco-antonio-molina-theissen/) - On October 6, 1981, Guatemalan military officers forcefully removed Marco Antonio Molina from his home, deaf to his mother’s desperate pleas. He was just fourteen years old. Marco Antonio’s kidnapping was related to the illegal detention of his sister, Emma Guadalupe, who was a young student and activist at the time. While traveling from Guatemala
- [A Glance at Past Work](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/) - Post-Conflict Cases GHRC documents and denounces incidents of violence, cases of criminalization of human rights defenders, and violations that arise from land conflicts, among others. GHRC currently provides support in a number of paradigmatic cases. In many of these cases, even though years have passed since the abuses were perpetrated, justice remains elusive. In some
- [El Estor: Resistance to an Illegal Nickel Mine](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/themes/access-to-land-and-natural-resources-3/el-estor-resistance-to-an-illegal-nickel-mine/) - The Fenix Mine has been a contested project since the 1960s with a long history of human rights violations. Located in El Estor near Lake Izabal--the largest lake in Guatemala--the nickel mine threatens the environment and livelihood of the maya Q’eqchi communities that live around the lake. In 2019--responding to an injunction filed by the
- [Access to Land and Natural Resources](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/themes/access-to-land-and-natural-resources-3/) - JUMP TO: Historic Overview >> Current Issues>> Related Cases >> Publications & Updates >> PROTECTIONS FOR LAND RIGHTS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW: International Labor Organization (Convention 169) Universal Declaration of Human Rights GHRC documents and denounces violations that arise from transnational extractive projects and other land conflicts and provides support in a number of paradigmatic cases.
- [Mission, Vision, and Values](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/mission/) - Mission -- Misión The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) is a nonprofit, grassroots, solidarity organization dedicated to promoting human rights in Guatemala and supporting communities and activists who face threats and violence. GHRC documents and denounces abuses, educates the international community, and advocates for policies that foster peace and justice. La Comisión de Derechos Humanos de
- [Our Work](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) is a nonprofit, grassroots, solidarity organization dedicated to promoting human rights in Guatemala and supporting Guatemalan communities and human rights defenders who face threats and violence. GHRC documents and denounces abuses, educates the international community, and advocates for policies that foster peace and justice. Direct support for Human Rights
- [Education and Advocacy](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/advocacy/) - Educating the International Community GHRC provides analysis of both ongoing threats to human rights in Guatemala, as well as the structural causes of human rights violations and works to raise awareness in the international arena. We provide timely human rights updates and analysis to our grassroots base, partner organizations, US government offices, and the public.
- [Host a Speaker](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/speakers-tours/) - GHRC's annual speaker's tours are a chance for Guatemalan activists, community leaders and human rights defenders to come to the United States to share their stories and raise awareness about the issues that are most important to them. GHRC organizes a number of events, both public and private, where the speaker is able to engage
- [Our Partners](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/our-partners/) - GHRC collaborates with a wide range of Guatemalan and international partners. The list below is a partial list of some of our partners over the years, but there are many more organizations we work with and appreciate. Guatemala Partners: Alianza de Mujeres Rurales Colectivo Artesana Colectivo Madreselva Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC) Equipo de Estudios
- [About GHRC](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/about/) - Welcome -- Bienvenidxs Since its founding in 1982 by Sister Alice Zachmann, GHRC’s work and vision have been guided by a deep commitment to solidarity and a bold approach to advocacy, principles that placed GHRC at the forefront of the international struggle for human rights in Guatemala. For nearly four decades, we have contributed to positive, systemic
- [Global Coalition of NGOs Calls for Investigation Into Murder of Environmental Activist Involved in Palm Oil Case](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/coalition-of-ngos-call-for-investigation-into-murder-of-environmental-activist/) - (Leer en español aquí) November 30, 2015 — A coalition of international NGOs delivered an open letter today to Guatemala’s Attorney General, Thelma Aldana, and Interior Minister Eunice Mendizábal, calling on the Guatemalan government to conduct an immediate investigation into the murder of environmental activist Rigoberto Lima Choc. The petition—a joint action by Friends of the
- [2015 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award: Prensa Comunitaria](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/support-for-human-rights-defenders/the-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award/2015-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award-prensa-comunitaria/) - GHRC is presented the 2015 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Award to the community media group Prensa Comunitaria (Community Press), on the 3rd of November, 2015. GHRC selected Prensa Comunitaria for its commitment to grassroots journalism and its focus on documenting important community struggles that often receive little to no coverage in the mainstream media.
- [Organizaciones internacionales reiteran su apoyo al Estado de derecho y a las comunidades de la Puya](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/organizaciones-internacionales-reiteran-su-apoyo-al-estado-de-derecho-y-a-las-comunidades-de-la-puya/) - (leer en inglés) 24 de mayo de 2016 Las organizaciones de derechos humanos y derecho ambiental abajo firmantes aplaudimos los esfuerzos recientes de las cortes guatemaltecas para aplicar la ley nacional y normas internacionales en relación al derecho a la consulta y la responsabilidad corporativa en el caso de la mina El Tambor, también conocido
- [International Organizations Reiterate Support for Rule of Law and Respect for Human Rights in the case of the communities of La Puya and El Tambor Mine](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/international-organizations-reiterate-support-for-rule-of-law-and-respect-for-human-rights-in-the-case-of-the-communities-of-la-puya-and-el-tambor-mine/) - (leer en español) May 24, 2016 The undersigned human rights and environmental law organizations applaud recent efforts by Guatemalan courts to enforce domestic laws and international norms in relation to the right to consultation and corporate accountability in the case of the El Tambor mine, also known as “Progreso VII Derivada.” We reiterate our support
- [BRAVE WOMEN BREAK THE SILENCE AND IMPUNITY IN SEPUR ZARCO SEXUAL SLAVERY CASE](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/brave-women-break-the-silence-and-impunity-in-sepur-zarco-sexual-slavery-case/) - WOLA | ICTJ | GHRC | CEJIL | DPLF | Impunity Watch | Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad [Leer en Español] Guatemala City, Washington D.C. and San José, Costa Rica, March 2, 2016 - The Guatemalan justice system declared an exemplary sentence to convict two of the men responsible for subjecting Q’eqchi’ women to sexual and domestic slavery on the military
- [Organizaciones internacionales celebran el inicio del primer juicio  por violencia y esclavitud sexual durante el conflicto armado en Guatemala: caso Sepur Zarco](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/organizaciones-internacionales-celebran-el-inicio-del-primer-juicio-por-violencia-y-esclavitud-sexual-durante-el-conflicto-armado-en-guatemala-caso-sepur-zarco/) - WOLA | ICTJ | GHRC | CEJIL | DPLF | Impunity Watch | Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad [Read in English] Guatemala, Washington D.C. y San José, 1 de febrero de 2016 - Hoy comienza el debate oral y público del caso conocido como “Sepur Zarco”, por actos de violencia sexual y esclavitud doméstica y sexual cometidos por miembros del Ejército de
- [Mujeres valientes rompen el silencio y la impunidad en Guatemala El caso Sepur Zarco](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/mujeres-valientes-rompen-el-silencio-y-la-impunidad-en-guatemala-el-caso-sepur-zarco/) - WOLA | ICTJ | GHRC | CEJIL | DPLF | Impunity Watch | Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad [Read in English] Guatemala, Washington D.C. y San José, 2 de marzo de 2016. - La justicia guatemalteca dictó una sentencia ejemplar al condenar a dos responsables de someter a mujeres q’eqchi’ a esclavitud sexual y esclavitud doméstica en el destacamento militar que
- [Victory for La Puya: Guatemala’s Supreme Court Suspends Licence for El Tambor Mine](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/victory-for-la-puya-guatemalas-supreme-court-suspends-licence-for-el-tambor-mine/) - Feb. 25, 2016, Washington, D.C. and Guatemala City -- On February 22, 2016, the Guatemalan Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de Justicia) upheld the ruling to suspend all the mining operations of Reno, Nevada based company Kappes, Cassiday & Associates at the El Tambor mine. This tremendous victory is the result of a legal motion filed on
- [International organizations applaud the initiation of the first trial for sexual slavery and violence during the armed conflict in Guatemala:  The Sepur Zarco Case](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/international-organizations-applaud-the-initiation-of-the-first-trial-for-sexual-slavery-and-violence-during-the-armed-conflict-in-guatemala-the-sepur-zarco-case/) - WOLA | ICTJ | GHRC | CEJIL | DPLF | Impunity Watch | Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad [Leer en español] Guatemala, Washington D.C. and San José, February 1, 2016.- Today the trial begins in the “Sepur Zarco” case of acts of sexual violence and domestic and sexual slavery committed from 1982 to 1986 by members of the Guatemalan army against
- [Organizaciones Exigen Un Alto a Las Redadas y Cambios en la Política Estadounidense Hacia Centroamérica](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/organizaciones-exigen-un-alto-a-las-redadas-y-cambios-en-la-politica-estadounidense-hacia-centroamerica/) - Pronunciamiento de Organizaciones de Estados Unidos y Centroamérica de Derechos Humanos, Derechos de las Personas Migrantes, Derechos de la Mujer, Política Exterior y Solidaridad con América Latina (Click here to read in English) 8 de enero de 2016 En los últimos días, los agentes de El Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados
- [Stop the Raids and Focus Instead on U.S. Policy Toward Central America](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/stop-the-raids-and-focus-instead-on-u-s-policy-toward-central-america/) - Statement from U.S. and Central American Groups Working on Human Rights, Immigrant Rights, Women’s Rights, U.S. Foreign Policy and Latin America Solidarity (Para leer en español, haz click aquí) January 8, 2016 Over the last few days, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been rounding up and deporting dozens of members of
- [Coalición de Organizaciones Internacionales Hacen Un Llamado Para Investigar Asesinato de Defensor Ambiental Involucrado en Caso de Palma Africana](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/coalicion-de-organizaciones-internacionales-hacen-un-llamado-para-investigar-asesinato-de-defensor-ambiental/) - (Read in English here) 30 de noviembre de 2015—Una coalición de organizaciones internacionales entregaron hoy una carta abierta a la Fiscal General, Licenciada Thelma Aldana, y a la Ministra de Gobernación de Guatemala, Eunice Mendizábal, haciéndoles un llamado para iniciar una investigación inmediata del asesinato del defensor ambiental Rigoberto Lima Choc, quien había denunciado contaminación relacionada a una plantación
- [Truth, Justice and Historic Memory](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/themes/truth-justice-and-historic-memory/) - JUMP TO: The Right to Truth >> The Right to Justice >> The Role of Women >> Related Cases >> Publications & Updates >> KEY RESOURCES: UN Truth Commission Report (English | Spanish) REHMI Report (Spanish) GHRC supports Guatemalans’ right to truth, raises awareness about efforts to recover and preserve historic memory, and advocates
- [US CONGRESS TO GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT: HALT ILLEGAL MINING OPERATIONS AT LA PUYA](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/us-congress-to-guatemalan-president-halt-illegal-mining-operations-at-la-puya/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 12, 2015 -- On October 26, 2015, 12 members of the US Congress sent a letter to Guatemalan President Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre to raise concerns about abuses related to the El Tambor gold mine in San Pedro Ayampuc, Guatemala. The letter calls on the President to use his authority to uphold
- [Alarming Developments in Palm Oil Industry in Latin America Spur Global Call To Action For Palm Oil Traders](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/alarming-developments-in-palm-oil-industry-in-latin-america-spur-global-call-to-action-for-palm-oil-traders/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Global coalition of NGOs says murder, intimidation and the devastation of community livelihoods tied to rampant palm oil plantation expansion must be stopped November 12, 2015 -- Spurred by the recent murder of Guatemalan environmental and human rights defender Rigoberto Lima Choc, a coalition of global human rights and environmental organizations today
- [El Premio Alice Zachmann para Defensores de Derechos Humanos de 2015: Prensa Comunitaria](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/el-premio-alice-zachmann-para-defensores-de-derechos-humanos-de-2015-prensa-comunitaria/) - 17 de septiembre (Washington, DC) -- Es con mucho orgullo que GHRC anuncia que entregará el Premio Alice Zachmann para Defensores de Derechos Humanos a la red de comunicadores que conforma Prensa Comunitaria. Se celebrará la ceremonia el 3 noviembre a las 7 PM en la iglesia St. Stephen’s en Washington D.C. Responder y Comprar
- [The Role of Women in Transitional Justice Processes in Guatemala and Colombia](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/themes/truth-justice-and-historic-memory/the-role-of-women-in-transitional-justice-processes-in-guatemala-and-colombia/) - In February 2015, GHRC and MADRE -- an international women’s human rights organization -- held a workshop for women survivors of Guatemala’s 36-year-long internal armed conflict and of Colombia’s internal armed conflict, providing them with a platform to share their stories and experiences in seeking transitional justice. The workshop was the culmination of a project
- [SponsorHRD2015](https://org.salsalabs.com/o/2690/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=84937)
- [GHRC Congratulates Founder Sr. Alice Zachmann](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-congratulates-founder-sr-alice-zachmann/) - This morning, as the Pope addressed the U.S. Congress, GHRC’s founder Sr. Alice Zachmann was a special guest of Representative Tim Walz. “I am proud to have Sister Alice as my guest as the Pope addresses Congress,” said Representative Walz in a statement on his webpage. “Her lifetime of dedication and service is an inspiration
- [2014 Human Rights Defenders Award: The Guatemalan Human Rights Law Firm](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/support-for-human-rights-defenders/the-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award/2014-human-rights-defenders-award-the-guatemalan-human-rights-law-firm/) - GHRC presented the 2014 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender Award to the Guatemalan Human Rights Law Firm. GHRC also presented a special posthumous award to Dr. Cesar Barrientos for hist contributions to the justice system. The awards were formally presented on October 28, 2014. GHRC selected the Human Rights Law Firm for its unparalleled defense
- [Over 2,200 Individuals Call for US Mining Company to Suspend Illegal Operations at the El Tambor Mine in Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/over-2200-individuals-call-for-us-mining-company-to-suspend-illegal-operations-at-the-el-tambor-mine-in-guatemala/) - (Disponible en español abajo) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2015 (Washington, DC) -- Today, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) delivered an open letter to mining company Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA) signed by 2,200 individuals from 65 countries, calling on KCA to suspend illegal operations at its El Tambor gold mine in Guatemala. On
- [Civil society organizations express urgent concerns about proposed Alliance for Prosperity Plan for the Northern Triangle during Summit of the Americas](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/civil-society-organizations-express-urgent-concerns-about-proposed-alliance-for-prosperity-plan-for-the-northern-triangle-during-summit-of-the-americas/) - Joint letter sent to presidents of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the US FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 10, 2015 (Washington, DC) – As meetings begin at the Summit of the Americas in Panama, 75 civil society organizations and groups from throughout the hemisphere sent a joint letter (also available in Spanish) to the presidents
- [Martial Law Declared Again: Violence and Criminalization in San Juan Sacatepéquez](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/el-quetzal-2/martial-law-declared-again-violence-and-criminalization-in-san-juan-sacatepequez/) - This article is from the Winter 2014-2015 issue of El Quetzal (#18) On October 29, Bárbara Díaz Surin, a Kaqchiquel leader and mother of seven, was arrested in her community in San Juan Sacatepéquez. The municipality had been under martial law for over a month in response to a violent incident in the community of
- [Central American aid package could violate internationally-protected refugee rights](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/central-american-aid-package-could-violate-internationally-protected-refugee-rights/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Human rights advocates to Senate: Central American aid package could violate internationally-protected refugee rights Sixty organizations call on Senate to uphold international protections for asylum-seekers, end U.S. policies that contribute to regional violence and inequality Washington, DC – In advance of the U.S. Senate’s markup of the FY16 State and Foreign Operations
- [Stock Donations](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/donations/stock-donations/) - Stock Donations are a great way to get an added value for your contribution. If you have owned a stock for more than one year, your stock donation gives the following benefits: (1) You receive an immediate income tax deduction for the fair market value of the securities on the date of transfer, no matter
- [Planned Giving Options](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/get-involved/donations/planned-giving-options/) - DISCLAIMER: The below information on Planned Giving is not intended as legal or tax advice; neither GHRC nor its staff members are engaged in legal or tax advisory service. For advice or assistance regarding specific cases or whether a contemplated gift fits well into your overall circumstances and planning, the services of an attorney or
- [Organizaciones internacionales expresan preocupación frente a actos de intimidación en contra de fiscales de la Unidad de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/organizaciones-internacionales-expresan-preocupacion-frente-a-actos-de-intimidacion-en-contra-de-fiscales-de-la-unidad-de-derechos-humanos-de-guatemala/) - Autoridades judiciales son complacientes ante evidentes actos de hostigamiento Washington, D.C., 23 de junio de 2015 — En febrero de 2015, el señor Ricardo Méndez Ruiz, representante de la Fundación contra el Terrorismo, presentó una querella penal en contra del jefe de la Unidad de Derechos Humanos del Ministerio Público, Orlando López, por haber ofrecido
- [Peaceful Protesters Beaten in Guatemala to Make Way for American-Owned Mine](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/peaceful-protesters-beaten-in-guatemala-to-make-way-for-american-owned-mine/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 24, 2014 (San José del Golfo, Guatemala) — At 4:30 in the morning on Friday, May 23, a convoy of heavy machinery showed up at the anti-mining protest and blockade known as La Puya, accompanied by an estimated 100 riot police. By late afternoon, the site was a battle zone filled
- [2013 Annual Report](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/2013-annual-report/) - 2013 was a tumultuous one for human rights in Guatemala. In response, GHRC expanded our support for victims of abuses and amplified our impact by growing our solidarity network in the US. GHRC worked to document abuses, educate the public, and advocate on behalf of victims and at-risk communities. We continued to provide direct support
- [Child Migration from Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/themes/child-migrants/) - TAKE ACTION:Tell Congress: Protect Central American ChildrenInformation on how you can donate supplies, money, or time, or foster a child ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: GHRC: US Policies Exacerbate Migration Crisis in Guatemala (Published in Upside Down World) Recommendations for US Government Action: Smart Responses to Increased Migration from Central America Democracy Now: U.S. Turns Back on
- [Organizaciones Internacionales Se Pronuncian Frente a la Suspensión del Proceso por Genocidio en Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/organizaciones-internacionales-se-pronuncian-frente-a-la-suspension-del-proceso-por-genocidio-en-guatemala/) - PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA Descargar PDF Ciudad de Guatemala, 8 de enero de 2015—El pasado lunes, 5 de enero de 2015 se celebró la audiencia para reiniciar el proceso contra los ex generales José Efraín Ríos Montt y José Rodríguez Sánchez, acusados de genocidio y crímenes contra los deberes de la humanidad en perjuicio del pueblo
- [DERECHO GUATEMALTECO E INTERNACIONAL PROHIBEN LA APLICACIÓN DE AMNISTÍA A LOS CRIMENES CONTRA LA HUMANIDAD Y A GENOCIDIO](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/derecho-guatemalteco-e-internacional-prohiben-la-aplicacion-de-amnistia-a-los-crimenes-contra-la-humanidad-y-a-genocidio/) - PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA Descargar PDF Ciudad de Guatemala, 24 de diciembre de 2014 -- Ante la reciente decisión de la Corte de Constitucionalidad que confirmó que el proceso por los delitos de genocidio y delitos contra la humanidad seguido en contra de los generales en retiro Efraín Ríos Montt y Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez iniciará el
- [GHRC anuncia que el Premio Alice Zachmann para Defensores de Derechos Humanos de 2014 será otorgado al Bufete Jurídico de Derechos Humanos](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-anuncia-que-el-premio-alice-zachmann-para-defensores-de-derechos-humanos-de-2014-sera-otorgado-al-bufete-juridico-de-derechos-humanos/) - El Premio Alice Zachmann reconoce a una persona, organización o comunidad que ha demostrado un compromiso con la defensa de los derechos humanos a través de la no violencia y que, por sus esfuerzos, ha sido expuesta a amenazas, violencia u otro tipo de ataques. Este reconocimiento sirve para que en el ámbito internacional, se
- [THE MYTH OF DEVELOPMENT: WHY GUATEMALANS OPPOSE TRANSNATIONAL MINES AND DAMS](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/el-quetzal-2/the-myth-of-development-why-guatemalans-oppose-transnational-mines-and-dams/) - On June 23, an estimated fifty thousand Guatemalan took to the streets in dozens of towns across the country, calling for the government to respect indigenous people’s rights. A central demand was respect for the right to define what constitutes "development" in their communities and territories. For the last several years, many of the conflicts
- [2013 Human Rights Defenders Award: UDEFEGUA](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/support-for-human-rights-defenders/the-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award/2013-human-rights-defenders-award-udefegua/) - GHRC presented the 2013 Award to the Guatemalan Human Rights Defenders Unit (UDEFEGUA). The award was formally presented on November 14, 2013 to Claudia Samayoa, coordinator for UDEFEGUA, who accepted the award on behalf of her organization. Highlights from the award can be seen below: UDEFEGUA was founded in 2000 by a coalition of
- [Rethinking the Drug War in Central America and Mexico: Guatemala Section](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/other-publications/rethinking-the-drug-war-in-central-america-and-mexico-guatemala-section/) - Current US support to the Guatemalan military encourages human rights abuses and feeds, instead of combats, organized crime. In Guatemala, rates of violence are reaching levels only seen during the years of the internal armed conflict, and rampant impunity for these crimes continues. As the nation finally begins to address past atrocities committed by the
- [GHRC Stands in Solidarity with the People of Santa Cruz Barillas](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/comunicadobarillas/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission in Washington, DC (GHRC/USA) wishes to express its deepest concern about the crisis in Santa Cruz Barillas, Huehuetenango and the excessive and arbitrary reaction of the Guatemalan government. We condemn the attack on May 1, 2012 in which Andrés Francisco Miguel was murdered and Pablo Antonio Pablo Pablo and
- [GHRC Condemns Massacre in Totonicapán, Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/totocomunicado/) - 1. The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) condemns the military’s violent response to community protests on Oct. 4, 2012, and expresses solidarity for victims and their families. Early that morning, over 15,000 indigenous protestors of the 48 Cantones of Totonicapán took to the streets, blocking traffic at five points on national highways. At the same
- [GHRC and Partners Call for Better Protection for Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-and-partners-call-for-better-protection-for-human-rights-defenders-in-guatemala/) - November 20, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Amanda Kistler – Center for International Environmental Law: akistler@ciel.org Kelsey Alford-Jones – Guatemala Human Rights Commission: kajones@ghrc-usa.org (Washington, D.C.) – In the context of increasing persecution and attacks against human rights defenders, particularly those working in defense of the rights of indigenous peoples and the right to a healthy
- [World Bank Asked to Delay Funding to Guatemala Until Reparations Plan Is Implemented for Chixoy Dam Victims](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/world-bank-asked-to-delay-funding-to-guatemala-until-reparations-plan-is-implemented-for-chixoy-dam-victims/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 3, 2014 (Washington, DC) – On June 2, thirty four (34) non-governmental organizations from around the world sent a letter to the World Bank’s Executive Directors asking that the World Bank Board delay its vote on a $340 million development policy loan to the Government of Guatemala. The vote is scheduled for
- [Turnover of Guatemala's Attorney General Raises Questions and Fears](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/turnover-of-guatemalas-attorney-general-raises-questions-and-fears/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (En español abajo) May 19, 2014 (GUATEMALA) -- Guatemala’s new Attorney General, Thelma Esperanza Aldana Hernández, former President of the Supreme Court, took office Saturday after a selection process fraught with irregularities. The rushed transition has generated severe criticism from national and international observers, and human rights groups have suggested it is
- [Organizations Call on US & Mesoamerican Presidents to Reevaluate Regional Security Policies](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/letter-to-mesoamerican-heads-of-states-sica-carta-a-presidentes-mesoamericanos-sica/) - Press Release April 30, 2013 Washington, DC - Over 150 international, regional and local organizations from 10 countries have come together to address presidents from the US and Mesoamerica on the eve of their summit. Organizations have expressed concern about rising rates of violence and call on governments to “acknowledge that failed security policies that
- [ORGANIZACIONES INTERNACIONALES LLAMAN A RESPETAR EL ESTADO DE DERECHO E INSTAN A REALIZAR  PROCESOS TRANSPARENTES EN  LAS COMISIONES DE POSTULACIÓN](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/organizaciones-internacionales-demandan-respeto-al-estado-de-derecho-y-procesos-transparentes-en-las-comisiones-de-postulacion/) - PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA (12 de febrero de 2014) -- Representantes de diversas organizaciones regionales e internacionales manifestamos nuestra preocupación ante hechos recientes que afectan la institucionalidad del Ministerio Público e instamos a que se respeten los principios de independencia, participación, transparencia, publicidad y representatividad en los procesos de elección de miembros de
- [Organizaciones Internacionales Expresan Preocupación Por Las Irregularidades Observadas en el Proceso de Selección de Fiscal General en Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/organizaciones-internacionales-expresan-preocupacion-por-las-irregularidades-observadas-en-el-proceso-de-seleccion-de-fiscal-general-en-guatemala/) - GHRC, alongside other regional and international organizations, expresses concern regarding the inconsistencies and irregularities in the process of selecting a new attorney general in Guatemala. Several red flags were raised during the process, signaling a lack of transparency: the authenticity of information provided by candidates was not verified; concerns raised by different civil society groups
- [Open Letter in Support of Campesino Marchers](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/comunicadomarchers/) - April 9, 2012 The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA wishes to publicly applaud the courageous, determined, and indefatigable men, women, and children who participated in the historic Peasant, Indigenous and Popular Movement March from Cobán to Guatemala City. For nine days, thousands of indigenous and peasant farmers hiked under a brutally unforgiving sun, battling exhaustion, dehydration, and heat
- [INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW AND URGE TRANSPARENCY IN THE NOMINATING COMMISSION PROCESSES](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/international-organizations-call-for-respect-for-the-rule-of-law-and-urge-transparency-in-the-nominating-commission-processes/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GUATEMALA CITY (February 12, 2014) -- As representatives of national and international organizations, we are concerned about recent events that affect the institutionality of the Public Ministry and we urge respect for the principles of independence, participation, transparency, open access to information, and representativity in the election processes of the members of judicial
- [Guatemalan Environmental Justice Movement 'La Puya' Celebrates Two Years of Peaceful Resistance](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/guatemalan-environmental-justice-movement-la-puya-celebrates-two-years-of-peaceful-resistance/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAN JOSÉ DEL GOLFO AND SAN PEDRO AYUMPUC, GUATEMALA (February 28, 2014) -- In a small town outside of Guatemala City, a group of peasant farmers have camped out on a remote dirt road for almost two years. They have slept, ate, sang, and met under plastic tarps and colorful banners in
- [GHRC/USA Supports Demands of Workers Fired from Kyler Seafood](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/kylercomunicado/) - June 20, 2012 On May 4th of this year, Kyler Seafoods, located in New Bedford, MA, dismissed 52 employees as a result of an audit of the company carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many of those fired had worked for the company for over a decade. Despite their years of service, the
- [GHRC Statement on the Death of Supreme Court Justice César Barrientos](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-statement-on-the-death-of-supreme-court-justice-cesar-barrientos/) - Read in English | Leer en español “El poder judicial atiende a una posición de indiferencia frente al tema de la impunidad y desde ahí es que se origina la crisis en la que se encuentra el país…” - Dr. César Barrientos GHRC expresa su profundo pesar por el fallecimiento trágico del Doctor César Barrientos
- [GHRC publicly denounces policy of violent evictions](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-publicly-denounces-policy-of-violent-evictions/) - Ongoing Violent Land Evictions Violate Human Rights and Victimize Guatemala’s Most Marginalized Populations Washington, DC -- The Guatemala Human Rights Commission in Washington, DC joins local and international groups in expressing extreme concern over the pattern of violent land evictions occurring in campesino and indigenous communities across Guatemala. Forced evictions have been carried out by state forces with
- [GHRC Expresses Support for the Community of Rio Negro](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-expresses-support-for-the-community-of-rio-negro/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA expresses support for the survivors of the community of Rio Negro. After 30 years, their bravery and dedication to justice have brought them to San José, Costa Rica to present their case before the Inter-American Court on Human Rights. In his eloquent words, which started off the second day
- [GHRC Denounces Failure to Comply with Inter-American Commission Measures](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-denounces-failure-to-comply-with-inter-american-commission-measures/) - The Commission of Petitioners of the Preventative Measures recommended by the IACHR in favor of the 14 violently evicted communities of the Polochic Valley, composed of: COMMUNICATES TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION, PEASANT ORGANIZATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, TO THE COMMUNITIES OF THE POLOCHIC VALLEY AFFECTED BY THE VIOLENT EVICTIONS CARRIED OUT BY
- [GHRC Denounces Closure of Peace Archives Directorate in Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/comunicadodap/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA expresses extreme concern at the Guatemalan Government’s announcement that it is closing down the Peace Archives Directorate of the Peace Secretariat (SEPAZ) and dissolving its investigative team, effectively canceling their projects to publish historical reports and denying future contributions to criminal investigations. The work of the Peace Archives Directorate (Dirección
- [GHRC Condemns Attempted Assassination of Yolanda Oquelí ](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/comunicadoyolanda/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA denounces the attempted assassination of community leader and anti-mining activist, Yolanda “Yoli” Oquelí. On June 13th, at approximately 6:30pm, Yoli was ambushed by two men on a motorcycle while driving to her home in San José del Golfo. She was shot at repeatedly; one bullet entered above her right kidney.
- [GHRC and Partners Reaffirm Importance of Current Military Ban to Guatemala](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-and-partners-reaffirm-importance-of-current-military-ban-to-guatemala/) - Current Concerns regarding the Guatemalan Army Why Restrictions to Guatemala’s Military Assistance Remain Important May 2012 A. Failure to Advance Sufficiently in Prosecuting Human Rights Violations While a limited number of investigations into human rights violations committed during Guatemala’s internal armed conflict have moved forward and led to prosecutions, and Attorney General Claudia Paz y
- [GHRC and Partners Call for Actions to Protect Human Rights in Guatemala ](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/ghrc-archive/press-room/ghrc-and-partners-call-for-actions-to-protect-human-rights-in-guatemala/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thirty-eight international organizations call for actions to protect human rights in Guatemala In a letter delivered to Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina last week, thirty-eight international organizations expressed concern regarding human violations committed on an ongoing basis in Guatemala and called on the new administration to take concrete actions to guarantee the
- [Peaceful Anti-Mining Resistance at 'La Puya' Celebrates Two Years of Struggle](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/resources/publications/el-quetzal-2/4480-2/) - Article published in the April 2014 Issue of El Quetzal. A version of this article appeared in Upside Down World. By Rob Mercatante La Puya started, as many great movements do, with a single act of civil disobedience. A woman, concerned by the sudden arrival of a gold mining operation in her community, decided to
- ['La Puya' Environmental Movement Celebrates Two Years of Peaceful Resistance](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/lapuya/la-puya-environmental-movement-celebrates-two-years-of-peaceful-resistance/) - Those who defend their rights are brave. Those who are willing to put their life on the line to defend the rights of others are heroes. On March 2, 2012 courageous men and women from the communities of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayumpuc joined together in opposition to the construction of a
- [2012 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defenders Award: "La Puya"](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/support-for-human-rights-defenders/the-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award/2012-alice-zachmann-human-rights-defenders-award-la-puya/) - The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA presented the 2012 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender Award to two communities in Guatemala, San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc (commonly referred to as "La Puya"), for their efforts to protect the environment against international mining interests. Since 2011 the people of San Jose del Golfo and San
- [2012 Annual Report](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/2013-annual-report/2012-annual-report/) - Thank you to all of our partners and supporters who helped GHRC grow and evolve throughout 2012. During 2012, the first year of President Otto Pérez Molina, human rights and civil liberties were violated time and again in Guatemala. Yet our partners, through their dedication and bravery, have shown that civil society can and will
- [Paid Ad: "Traicionar la Paz y Dividir Guatemala"](https://www.ghrc-usa.org/our-work/2014-annual-report/genocide-cases/3472-2/)

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