Global Voices » Renata Avila

Efraín Ríos Montt Found Guilty of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity

Renata Avila — Sat, 11 May 2013 00:28:52 +0000

Guatemalan de facto dictator Efraín Ríos Montt was declared guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. After organizing and fighting in courts for years, Guatemala's Ixil Maya indigenous achieved justice.

The verdict was live-tweeted and streamed [es].

While Ríos Montt was declared guilty and sentenced to 80 years in prison, former Intelligence Director José Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez was declared innocent.

Rios Montt ruled Guatemala from March 1982 to August 1983 during the country's 36-year civil war. As Xeni Jardin explains in BoingBoing: “The 86-year-old former General and head of state was charged with the crimes over a counterinsurgency campaign in 1982-1983 that resulted in the deaths of 1,771 Maya Ixil.”

Rios Montt Genocide Trial Day 26. Photo by James Rodriguez of MiMundo.org, used with permission.

Guatemala's indigenous were severely impacted by the war; they lost land, houses, animals, crops, and had to live in hiding in the mountains. After the war the country offered little opportunities.

Today, the Ixil communities are among the poorest in the country, with up to 77% living in poverty [es]. In Guatemala, where up to 40% of the population is indigenous, eight out of 10 indigenous peoples are poor. Furthermore, racism impacts their education and employment opportunities.

In spite of their poverty, the survivors were not asking for reparations -they were asking for justice, as Mr. Benjamín Jerónimo, plaintiff of the genocide case, told the tribunal in the closing arguments of a very complex trial which Amnesty International summarized in ten facts:

Genocide was committed, crimes against humanity were committed and today, 100 witnesses came to tell the truth, to ask for justice for all that we suffered, publicly… We are not looking for vengeance, we are looking for a true peace with justice, with respect, with equality, with dignity, that is why we are here.

It takes more than ten hours to travel in public transport from the Ixil region to Guatemala City, where the trial took place. In spite of their modest income and the distance, members of the Ixil community were present in the courtroom every day, as photo records by James Rodriguez of MiMundo.org and the coverage by Xeni Jardin in Boing Boing show. Xeni live tweeted the final verdict from the courtroom.

Picture by James Rodríguez, Mimundo.org used with permission.

A video explaining all the evidence leading to the charges was aired this week by PBS in the United States, generating debate about president Reagan's involvement. The article “The Final Battle: Rios Montt's Counterinsurgency Campaign: U.S. and Guatemalan Documents Describe the Strategy Behind Scorched Earth” by The National Security Archive adds:

Ríos Montt's scorched earth tactics are documented in a collection of Guatemalan army records created in July and August 1982, connected to Operation Sofía — a series of counterinsurgency sweeps through the Ixil region to kill EGP combatants and destroy their “base of support” (the Maya Ixil population). The Operation Sofía documents were given to the National Security Archive in 2009 and the Archive in turn provided them as criminal evidence to the prosecutors in the genocide case.

The trial has been an example of open justice, with translation available for the Ixil peoples during the entire trial, unrestricted access to press and a strong interaction in social media.

Parallel to the debate in court, a conversation -a battle of ideas and facts- took place online.

Netizens used the hashtags #riosmontt, #genocidegt and #sihubogenocidio (“yes, it was genocide”), and there were livestreams here (audio), here (audio) and here.

There are also netizens who deny that there was a genocide, and they are using the hashtag #nohubogenocidio (“there was no genocide”) to share their views.

During the trial citizens all over the world took a pledge and shared a photo showing their support for justice.

International volunteers from NISGUA, Peace Brigades International, Collectif Guatemala and other NGOs worked and supported families of survivors during the trial. They also produced content in English and French to share with the world.

After thirty years, this landmark verdict materializing the spirit of the Genocide Convention and the enforcement of crimes against humanity is an insurance for each and every human being, as it sets a precedent for current conflicts around the world. It is a ray of hope for entire villages labelled as “the enemy” in Syria, for the suffering of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and for all the conflicts to come.

Furthermore, it also marks a new beginning for an inclusive Guatemala, embracing and learning from the values and differences of 24 nations, starting with the lessons of courage, patience and non-violent struggle for justice taught by the Ixil. As Salvadoran digital journal El Faro said, the Ixil peoples already achieved a victory [es].

Photo via @xeni: “Juana Sanchez Toma, Ixil rape victim whom we interviewed for @newshour. ‘I dreamed of justice. And now here it is.'”

#FLISOL 2013: Hundreds of Latin Americans Installing Free Software

Renata Avila — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:28:57 +0000

Flisol 2013 Banner.

From the Patagonia to Havana, hundreds of computer users across Latin America are choosing freedom over control by installing free software on their computers. On April 27th, groups of free software enthusiasts will be installing free software in dozens of cities across Latin America as part of FLISOL [es], the Latin American free software installation festival.
(more…)

Guatemala's Genocide Trial Declared Invalid

Renata Avila — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:34:00 +0000

Five weeks of harrowing testimony from dozens of survivors and witnesses of massacre, forced disappearances and rape stand void, as Guatemala's much awaited and watched “genocide trial” has been declared invalid.

Efraín Ríos Montt, the country's de facto dictator from 1982-83 and his former intelligence director are being prosecuted for the massacre of 1700 Indigenous Maya Ixil people during Guatemala's civil war.

Victims of Guatemala's war have waited thirty years for justice, and it took twelve years to reach the debate stage. Many fear that the defendants might not live until that phase can be reached again. Investigative journalist Allan Nairn writes on his blog:

Many dozens of Mayan massacre survivors risked their lives to testify. But now the court record they bravely created has been erased from above.

On April 18, 2013, a lower court judge Carol Patricia Flores declared all proceedings invalid due to an “apparent breach of due process.”

Judge Patricia Flores told a court in Guatemala City that the order had come from the country's top courts to suspend the trial because she had been wrongly removed from the case, prompting complaints that the ruling made a mockery of justice.

Apparent breach of due process

Rios Montt was formally charged in January 2012 by Judge Flores, but she stood down from hearing the case until 5 weeks ago, because of her involvement in another case which also implicated Rios Montt.

In the last week, Rio Montt's lawyers made Judge Flores the focal point of their efforts, arguing that these procedural errors meant the current trial should be annulled. On Wednesday, April 17, the defendants’ lawyers presented a writ requesting that the procedures be suspended.

A day later, Judge Flores ruled that due process was not respected and reversed the trial to the preparatory phase, meaning that the procedure is again open to appeals and that all the testimonies and expert witnesses presented in the case will have to present their evidence in court again.

But, Julio Prado, a prosecutor, believes that the Constitutional Court's orders were to admit the trial's evidence [es] and simply return the case to its original tribunal so the trial can procede.

‘Threats of violence killed the case’

Two days earlier, prominent former government officials and signatories to the country’s peace agreements which ended the civil war issued a public declaration expressing concern that the trial is threatening the peace process and dividing Guatemala.

President Perez Molina, who has also been implicated in the trial by a witness, also endorsed the statement. Molina is a former army General and the founder of Kaibil School, a soldier training school whose practices come close to torture.

Investigative Journalist Allan Nairn was one of the witnesses proposed by the accusers; he interviewed President Perez Molina in the Ixil area back in 1983. In recent days, Nairn had written a personal account of the case but “was asked to keep it private until a trial verdict had been reached.” He has now published it in his blog as “A firsthand behind-the-scenes account of how Guatemala's current President and threats of violence killed the case”:

It would be mistaken to think that this case redounds to the credit of Guatemala's rulers.

It was forced upon them from below. The last thing they want is justice.

But they agreed to swallow a partial dose because political forces were such that they had to, and because they thought that they could get away with sacrificing Rios Montt to save their own skins.

I was called to testify in the Rios Montt case, was listed by the court as a ‘qualified witness,’ and was tentatively scheduled to testify on Monday, April 15. But at the last minute was I was kept off the stand ‘in order to avoid a confrontation with the [Guatemalan] executive.

Reactions to the court's decision immediately emerged on social networks. The International Center for Transitional Justice (@theICTJ) reported the news using the hashtag #GenocideGT:

@theICTJ: Judge Flores orders that the genocide case and all proceedings up to this point are invalid. #GenocideGT

Using the same hashtag, Latin American History professor Kirsten Weld (@kirstenweld) wrote:

@kirstenweld: I think we all got excited and inspired by the testimonies; forgot how diabolically clever the military is. #GenocideGT

The Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (@NISGUA_Guate) reported the reaction from Marilena Bustamante, sister of Emil Bustamante [es], one of the men who disappeared during the war:

@NISGUA_Guate: As court adjourns, M. Bustamante begins to yell “INJUSTICE!” Others present in audience yell, “why don't you shoot her”

Cultural Survival (@CSORG) quoted documentary filmmaker Pamela Yates:

@CSORG: “I am shocked because they got this far; to have procedural issue stop trial at this state is shocking. And possibly illegal.”—@pameladyates

Journalist Xeni Jardin (@xeni), who has been following the case for Boing Boing, added:

@xeni: “This decision amounts to laughing at the victims, mocking the victims.” Genocide tribunal prosecution, pleading judge reconsider annulment.

Xeni later reported:

@xeni: A candlelight vigil is taking place right now outside the Guatemalan Supreme Court. Ixil people leading.

Although the future of the whole trial is uncertain, Guatemalans are using social networks to speak their mind and to organize demonstrations online and offline using the hashtag #sihubogenocidio (Yes! It was genocide).

Maya Ixil women listening to the trial.
Picture by James Rodriguez Mimundo.org More images can be found here.

The following days will be crucial for the future of justice and accountability in Guatemala and abroad.

A chronology of the debate phase and all the content discussed until now can be found here; and a complete timeline of events, documenting the victims’ long struggle, can be found here.

String of Killings Leaves Five Guatemalan Activists Dead

Renata Avila — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:31:16 +0000

While Guatemala attempts to bring former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt to justice in a landmark genocide trial, deadly violence elsewhere in the country continues unpunished. In less than one month, five activists and human right defenders struggling against mining companies and fighting for land and labor rights have been murdered in rural areas.

Tomas Quej, a young indigenous leader from Baja Verapaz, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the heart on February 26, 2013, as Comunicarte [es] reported. Quej had just won a long struggle in court for the lands of his community. He had seven children, including a newborn.

Right after Quej's murder, indigenous union and campesino leader Carlos Hernández Medoza was murdered on his way back from Honduras on March 8. Hernández was a prominent leader who rallied various sectors in his community and region. Frontline Defenders reported:

Carlos Hernández Mendoza was a leader in the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Salud de Guatemala – SNTSG (National Health Workers Union of Guatemala), as well as a member of the social revolutionary movement Frente Nacional de Lucha – FNL (National Struggle Front), Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares, Indígenas, Iglesia, Sindicales, Campesinas de Oriente – COPIISCO (Coordinator of Popular, Indigenous, Religious, Workers and Farmer Organisations of the Oriente) and Asociación Campesina Camoteca (Camotán Campesino Organisation).

Xinca mourning by Rodrigo Baires Quezada for Plaza Publica, under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

On March 13, 68-year-old indigenous Tzutuhil leader Gerónimo Sol Ajcot was brutally murdered by masked men on his way to work.

Four days later, Encarnación López Ucelo, an outspoken leader from the minority Xinca indigenous group, was murdered and three of his colleagues were kidnapped, beaten and then released. The group was demonstrating against mining operations by Canadian company Tahoe Resources and the murdered leader was also involved in land disputes, another possible cause of the criminal act. There are still concerns for the safety of the surviving leaders, as an urgent action appeal by Amnesty International explained:

On 17 March, four Xinca leaders – Encarnación Marcos, Rigoberto Aguilar, Rodolfo López and Roberto González – participated in a public event held in the El Volcancito hamlet, San Rafael Las Flores, where they acted as observers at a community-organized consultation on mining in the area. Following the event, the four men left El Volcancito at 8.30pm. At approximately 9.15pm, as they were approaching Mataquescuintla, approximately 12 men in two trucks stopped their vehicle. The heavily armed men, who were wearing balaclavas, forced them into the trucks. Rigoberto Aguílar and Rodolfo López were released at different times during the night. Rigoberto Aguílar had reportedly been beaten. In the early morning of 18 March, Encarnación Marcos was found dead. His body had been thrown into a ditch and his hands were tied. One of the pickup trucks had been left near the corpse.

An appeal was also launched on Causes calling to stop violence against mining activists in Guatemala.

The most recent victim, as reported by Albedrio [es], was union leader Santa Alvarado, who was fighting for the rights of health sector workers. She was kidnapped and found strangled. Alvadro leaves two little children behind and adds to the outrageous number of women killed in Guatemala.

As the report of the Guatemalan Truth Commission concluded and the genocide trial against former dictator Rios Montt et al confirms, Guatemala has a long and painful history of repression of peasants, social leaders, unionists, women, and children.

In fact, as No a la Mina (No to the mine) pointed out [es], the recent repression resembles the death squad operations that once left thousands of leaders killed in Guatemala. If social conflicts are going to be solved with a gun and left in absolute impunity, Guatemala's future looks just like its grim past.

Mayan Priests Denied Access to Ceremonial Places in Guatemala

Renata Avila — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 05:23:10 +0000

Guatemala, the heart of Mayan culture, has started their festivities for the 13 Baktun – the last cycle of the Mayan calendar, due to end on Friday, December 21, 2012. But sadly the celebrations were dominated by staged government shows which were neither led nor shared by indigenous communities or spiritual leaders.

On stage, non-indigenous peoples were wearing indigenous clothes in a folklore show while non-indigenous attendees from the Guatemalan elites were in the most important ceremonial Mayan center, Tikal, waiting for the new era to arrive. Indigenous peoples were left outside, were they were demonstrating, playing the traditional instrument marimba.

Tikal Gran Jaguar Temple by Graeme (under a Creative Commons Attribution License)

The Guatemalan Federations of Mayan Radios [es] reported early in the morning of December 20 that authorities from the Mam – Mayan council were not allowed to enter the central plaza of the National Park Tikal, one of the places for 13 Baktun celebrations. Authorities from the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism denied them access, arguing that the area of ceremonies was cut off for the stage show.

Men and women coming from each corner of the country arrived early to start their traditional ceremonies but were left out until 11:45 pm when the religious authorities were allowed to practice their ancestral ceremonies. Indigenous attendees were in minority as they were neither invited nor allowed inside the main area. The audio can be downloaded here [es].

This is not the first exclusion Mayan people have suffered. Concerns were expressed earlier by the Western Peoples Council:

Oxlajuj B'ak'tun is the time to strengthen ancestral wisdom and the practice and never-ending search for balance; it's a moment in which we must transcend, raise the consciousness of human beings and recognize ourselves as such in order to reach a collective understanding. This means we must ensure that human beings be “truly human in balance with the cosmos and Mother Earth”, through interweaving and respect between cultures and the valuing of identity in every community. Lacking this, the link between the individual and their own reality is already impossible.

It is offensive for the Maya people to see the economic power and government institutions promote the FOLKLORIZATION of Oxlajuj B'ak'tun, commodifying this important event, creating a political image out of tourist promotion and the presentation of spectacles, in a way that does not appropriately interpret the Maya cosmovision.

It is shameful on the part of the Guatemalan government to make the international community believe it is promoting the Maya culture, when it continues to develop an aggressive policy of appropriation of our natural resources. This manifests itself in hundreds of concessions and imposed mining projects, hydroelectric dams, oil extraction, monoculture crops for transnational companies, all in the name of false development as a method of domination and racism in Guatemala.

Racism is rampant in Guatemala State – institutionally, interpersonally, and structurally. And it adopts new forms, such as the exclusion reflected in the new Mayan era celebrations. Let's hope the Mayan priests will be allowed in and celebrate according to their traditions and beliefs in the following days, as the festivities end on December 30 and that their voices and demands are finally heard by the international community.

Ada Lovelace Day: Celebrating Women's Genius

Renata Avila — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:59:47 +0000

I want to challenge you. Yes, you, who are reading this article: mention five, just five names, of amazing women in science and technology you know, from five different countries in the world. The average person will likely fail to complete the challenge. Many will just mention some names they heard in recent news, like Marisa Mayer, the new CEO of Yahoo.

Ada Lovelace Day, celebrated every October 16, honors international women who are contributing with effort and little praise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths – women whose skills are urgently needed for the future of the world.

Here we highlight some of these extraordinary women from all over the world.

For example: Brazilian molecular biologist and geneticist Mayana Zatz is heading the University of São Paulo's (USP) Human Genome Research Centre; Mexican Environmental Engineer Blanca Jiménez Cisneros is the Director of the Division of Water Sciences and Secretary of the International Hydrological Program from UNESCO; Sijue Wu, from China, was awarded with the Morningside Medal, considered the most prestigious award for Chinese experts in Mathematics. Wu is also the first female recipient in the medal's history.

‘Introduce a girl to engineering’ by Argonne Library (CC-BY-NC-SA)

Leading the list of women scientists is Fabiola Gianotti who is directing the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland, considered the world's biggest scientific experiment. Gianotti is followed by Sunita Williams, an Astronaut who holds the record for the longest space flight by a woman.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Seberry is well know as The Grandmother of cryptography and computer security in Australia. She is a globally recognized cryptographer, mathematician, and computer scientist who took part in the discovery of the foundations of what is computer security today.

All the women listed above are at the peak of their consolidated careers. They are role models and examples who are inspiring many girls around the world. A new generation of scientists, computer experts, and researchers are taking the first steps to lead science and technology all over the world.

In Cuba Martha Zoe, a specialist in natural medicine in Cuba using native herbs growing in the island, discovered how ‘anamu’ pills help those who are sick with terminal diseases.

In Tunisia, Sarrah Ben M'Barek is engaged in similar research, discovering innovative uses of plants. She also advocates to teach children how fascinating science can be with a creative approach.

Meanwhile, Esther Duflo, from France, founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, a network of professors from all over the world who use Randomized Evaluations to answering questions about poverty alleviation.

Computer Scientist from Princeton University, Nadia Heninger, scanned the entire Internet and found hundreds of thousands of instances of insecure Internet connections.

While Linet Kwamboka, from Kenya, is a computer expert leading the Open Data Initiative and the Open Government Partnership at the Kenya ICT Board.

Ana Domb, from Costa Rica-Chile, is a researcher studying distribution systems and thinking about the intersection of culture and technology.

Erinn Clark, a self taught computer expert, is one of the bright minds behind Tor Project, updating the Tor Project code and by doing so, allowing hundreds of users to communicate privately and securely. She combines her coding activities with public advocacy.

Berglind Ósk Bergsdóttir, for her part, is an amazing developer of mobile apps from Iceland.

Twelve years ago, Chiaki Hayashi founded LoftWork, which comprises more than 7,000 creators, including web and graphic designers, illustrators, photographers and fine artists and is allowing hundreds of digital creators to work together, share their portfolios and build projects they would have never created in isolation.

Debbie Sterling is an engineer and the founder of GoldieBlox, a toy and book series starring Goldie, a girl inventor who loves to build, seeking to attract girls to mechanics and engineering.

Naeema Zarif in Lebanon is leading a sharing revolution, promoting open digital models.

Architect Joumana Al-Jabri, meanwhile, is using her technical skills to foster human rights with a variety of technology projects, including Visualizing Palestine.

In Costa Rica, Giannina Segnini is leading a team of scientist and journalists working in the most ambitious data driven journalism iniatiative in the region.

Kate Doyle, in the United States, is the director of the Evidence Project at the National Security Archive, and uses data science to uncover human rights abuses and hold criminals accountable of the most horrific crimes.

Models to follow, lives to inspire us, and names we must not forget to tackle stereotypes pushing women away from science. While some names mentioned above belong to very bright and famous senior experts, one must not forget the amazing women leading and forming communities such Mitchell Baker leading Mozilla, Cathy Casserly as CEO of Creative Commons, Kat Walsh as the Board Chair of Wikimedia, and all Global Voices Online female authors and editors, who make up a majority of our community. We should also remember those groups of women who are the custodians and guardians of traditional knowledge in all cultures.

Women have been at all times the keepers of culture, the depositories of knowledge and the seeds for the future. Lets honor all of them today.

Guatemala: 7 Indigenous Protesters Killed in Totonicapán

Renata Avila — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:22:35 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

At least 7 civilians were killed, up to 32 were injured, and 35 were intoxicated on October 4, 2012, when combined armed forces violently removed demonstrators from Cuatro Caminos (“four roads”), a well-known intersection of roads that go to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala City, Huehuetenango and Totonicapán.

Demonstrators blocked the road to protest the rising price of electricity in the area. They also demand a dialogue with the government to discuss their objections to the education and constitutional reforms proposed by President Otto Pérez Molina.

The demonstrators were representatives from indigenous communities from Totonicapan, an exceptional, mostly indigenous (90%) community in the Guatemalan highlands.

While demonstrations are common in the area, the number of persons killed and injured is highly unusual. There is evidence that members of the Guatemalan Army were carrying guns, although the Minister of Interior has denied it, arguing that the peasants killed each other, as Mario Rodríguez explains in his blog post “Declarations full of cynicism” [es].

Cantons in Totonicapán. Photo by Sandra Sebastian from plazapublica.com.gt under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial license.

Totonicapán is one of the best organized and least violent [es] areas in the country, in spite of extreme poverty with up to 82.2% [es] of malnourished people. Hard working and one of the most active environmentalist communities, the people in Totonicapán are dedicated to preserving the forest and their water sources, as described by Cultural Survival:

The forest has been preserved for generations, thanks to the work of people who have lived in harmony with the world around them, by means of ancestral knowledge of resource management and active participation of each community.

For such level of care and management you need a well-organized community and active leaders seeking common good. Totonicapán is one of the few territories where indigenous authorities exercise power, divided in 48 cantons, lead by community mayors and a President who serves as the mediator in case of conflicts and as the spokesperson when it is necessary to dialogue beyond the community.

In 2011, for the first time in history, a single woman, law student María del Carmen Tacam, was elected President of the Cantons in Totonicapán. She explained in an interview [es] that she follows the instructions of the consensus of all 48 local authorities.

As reported by Voces Mayas [es], María del Carmen explained that while appealing to refrain from violent measures, the indigenous communities blocked the Cuatro Caminos intersection because the government and the corporations did not respond to their clear demands. She also mentioned that the local hospital collapsed due to the number of people injured.

In her declarations, María del Carmen explained [es] to the press that the community of Totonicapán demanded a dialogue to find solutions to three sensitive issues:

The Constitutional Reform proposed by the President, which they disapprove.
Education reform, as they oppose the modifications to the requirements to become a school teacher.
Rising cost of electricity because the company did not stick to their commitments.

The community wants to keep the dialogue open and is waiting for clear responses from the government of Pérez Molina. During the previous government, the dialogue between the government and the communities was mediated by the Ombudsman, as documents [es] show, but this time he was denied access.

María del Carmen Tacám and the symbol of power. Photo by Sandra Sebastian from plazapublica.com.gt under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial license.

Furthermore, as early as March 2012, different voices raised their concerns about the rapidly growing size and role of the military in Guatemala and the presence of so-called “mega projects” like the Goldcorp mine. Cascadia solidaria comments about the increased militarized actions against civilians:

The strategic use of roadblocks by indigenous and campesino organizations as form of political pressure and re-vindication is harshly contested by the state and powerful economic actors, especially the business lobby CACIF*, which has campaigned for the prohibition and repression of blockades as violations of the right to freedom of movement. The Pérez Molina administration has previously used violence to break up roadblocks and occupations by students, teachers, and parents protesting exclusionary education reforms; if today’s deaths are confirmed to be the responsibility of security forces, it will mark the first clear instance of mortal government repression against civilian protest under Mano Dura. While community leaders have called for investigation of the deaths, if the administration follows the blueprint established by its response to social conflict and protest in Barillas, Huehuetenango, repressive measures such as arrests of protest leaders or declaration of a state of exception could be implemented instead.

In an official statement, the President –who is the maximum authority and Commander in Chief of the Guatemalan Army– indicated that he has ordered an investigation [es] into the violence and deaths from October 4.

In the meantime, the communities are waiting for dialogue and responses.

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

Honduras: Charter Cities Threaten Garífuna Communities

Renata Avila — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:20:14 +0000

The government of Porfirio Lobo caused great controversy after it recently signed [es] an agreement with Group MGK to implement a variant of Charter Cities, called Special Development Regions (REDs), in Honduras.

Some, like Ryan William Nohea Garcia from Libertopia underground, welcome the project:

Rejoice! Honduras’ Regiones Especiales de Desarrollo (Special Development Regions (REDs)) are official. (Roundup of news: here, here, and here.) REDs are forums within Honduras for innovative political and legal systems that better promote prosperity by securing Individual rights, offering stable regulatory and judicial structures, and implementing more streamlined immigration procedures. This is great news for Hondurans and the greater Free City movement. This blog post recognizes and praises the Honduran officials who advocated and implemented for REDs, a fortiori in the face of significant domestic, nativist opposition.

REDs can only be implemented in uninhabited land; in the case of Honduras, however, 24 Garífuna communities could be removed from their territory. The blog Being Garifuna explains:

“Because I was made in Honduras, I say NO. Join the protest against the traitors of the country, those who want to sell your country piece by piece, those who don't respect the constitution of your country, those who don't respect you!” Poster by Anonymous Honduras. No rights reserved.

Garifuna people are a unique afro-Caribbean ethnic group descended from indigenous Arawak Indians, Carib Indians and escaped African slaves who lived together in St. Vincent. The Garifuna of Honduras’ northern coast have been struggling for decades to protect their lands from predatory investors eyeing coastal lands for large-scale tourist projects, mega-hotels, and gated vacation communities. The “Charter City” project—brainchild of NYU economist Paul Romer—which aims to create a sovereign, business-friendly city-state on the Northern coast, is one of the biggest threats.

According to several reports, these lands have belonged to Garífuna communities since 1804 [es]. In a post on the issue, Tim Russo from Upside Down World quotes Miriam Miranda, president of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH):

Vallecito is the heart of the territory where they are promoting the creation and installation of Honduras’ Charter City. So, we are not only up against the interests of organized crime; we’re up against the interests of a government that—without consulting us—makes decisions about our territory.

More than 200 families currently live in Vallecito, on the Atlantic coast of Honduras, and their voices were not taken into consideration when signing the agreement.

The project is the brainchild of Paul Romer. Mr Romer and other experts were appointed to become members of the Transparency Commission for the Special Development Regions (REDs) which was supposed to serve as the governance organ of the cities. However, up to this date these appointments have not been confirmed, raising doubts about the transparency and accountability of the project. Without the appointed Transparency Commission, the only safeguard for the transparency of the process is the Honduran Congress.

Many bloggers have criticized the project and demand that the government look after local peasants and farmers [es] instead of foreign companies. For others, like CapoSud [es], giving away the sovereignty of the territory is unconstitutional. Furthermore, other bloggers like Tony Molony [es] argue that the government is selling the country piece by piece, and Analisis Afrodescendiente describes this as the second phase [es] of the 2009 coup.

Anonymous Honduras launched #OpEstadoFallido (Operation Failed State), taking down several government websites [es]. There is also a petition on Avaaz [es] calling for the defense of the territory where the RED projects would be implemented. Another petition, in English, is hosted in GoPetition and promoted by OFRANEH. It reads:

According to public notices, the RED is to be established on the northern coast, the ancestral territories of the Garifuna and Miskito Peoples, violating their human, cultural, social and economic rights. International law and the legal framework on the territorial rights of indigenous peoples – including a number of instruments signed by the Government of Honduras – enshrine these rights. According to the hierarchy of norms, their application must be preferential and is mandatory.

Hondurans are not the only ones skeptical about the project. Duncan Green, a strategic adviser for Oxfam, expressed his concern and pointed out that such a structure in one of the most corrupt countries in the world will not work.

The project will be lead by Michael Strong, founder of a project called Conscious Capitalism. He argues that his project will deliver positive results: prosperity, jobs, and better living standards.

However, the community is already feeling this project's toll.

Garífuna Lands, by Renata Avila under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Violence and extrajudicial executions are increasing in Honduras. During September, human rights defenders Antonio Trejo Cabrera and Manuel Eduardo Díaz Mazariegos were murdered. While the murders are not related, it is a worrying fact. Trejo was a lawyer defending peasants and Garifuna communities opposing the Special Development Regions.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights explains:

On September 24, 2012, the special prosecutor on human rights of the Choluteca Department, Eduardo Díaz Mazariegos, was killed with 11 bullets by two unidentified persons riding on motorcycles, in the vicinty of the headquarters of the Office of the Prosecutor in the city of Choluteca, in the southeast of Honduras.

On September 22, 2012, unidentified persons shot Antonio Trejo Cabrera in Tegucigalpa, and that in the previous he had received several death threats, which he had reported to the authorities. Antonio Trejo Cabrera was the legal representative of the Movimiento Auténtico Reivindicador Campesino del Aguán (MARCA), and he worked defending and promoting the rights of the peasant community cooperatives in the region of the Bajo Aguán.

A few days earlier, a group of Human Rights observers from different countries were threatened in the same area by masked, armed men.

Amnesty International also condemned the murder, and raised their concerns on increased violence and sexual abuse by private actors:

Private security personnel working for landowners and companies in Bajo Aguán have been accused of a series of alleged human rights abuses, including threats against local farmers as well as rape and other violent attacks.

The reaction by the Unified Campesino Movement of Aguan (MUCA) – the peasant movement which Trejo defended – was strong:

The Aguan campesino movement condemns this vile murder, which now is added to the list of those who have been shot and killed in their struggle to defend their people. On several occasions, Trejo denounced the threats he had received to the media and held the Bajo Aguan landowners responsible for any attempts to kill him or his family.

Trejo handled the legal affairs of the San Isidro, La Trinidad, and El Despertar cooperatives[...]

The Aguan campesinos are in solidarity with him and express our deepest condolences to his family, wife, and children.

The communiqué continues:

There is no doubt that Trejo's murder is a message from the powerful groups that live in the Aguan and those who make decisions in the country, to the campesinos

The situation is increasingly complex as the communities face legal and physical threats, now without the help of Trejo. With the signed agreement, in spite of all the opposition from civil society, the project will likely continue and the families will face eviction from the land they have inhabited for almost a century.

Furthermore, a Constitutional Reform is currently underway to authorize such cities. As reported by Human Rights Watch, Trejo had presented a constitutional writ, challenging the validity of the agreement signed by the government for the REDs. He joined the peasants in a peaceful protest against the government's measures in front of the Supreme Court of Justice on August 21, 2012. After repression from police forces, Trejo was arrested.

There are 22 pending constitutional writs opposing the REDs waiting to be solved. Most of them were presented by members of the community and civil society in Honduras, including Catholic priest Fausto Milla [es], who once headed the Civil Society Truth Commission. Honduras does not enjoy independence in their judiciary; in fact, the system is a quite corrupt, as pointed out by Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Frank La Rue, on his recent visit report [es].

Nevertheless, the Honduran Supreme Court of Justice will have the last word on the future of the project.

Risky Ideas to Fight Corruption! #Testing123

Renata Avila — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:27:20 +0000

The Global Integrity Innovation fund is not a typical call for projects. It is something else! #Testing123 is looking for crazy, risky, challenging and brand new ideas to fight corruption.

(more…)

Guatemala Celebrates Erick Barrondo's Silver in Race Walk

Renata Avila — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 21:57:21 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

Guatemala is celebrating its first victory during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. On Saturday, August 4, Erick Barrondo Garcia won the silver medal at the Men's 20km Race Walk. As the news broke, social media users, including politicians and other personalities, clapped and celebrated Barrondo's well-deserved victory.

Pop-star Ricardo Arjona (@Ricardo_Arjona) [es] congratulates him warmly:

@Ricardo_Arjona: Erick Barrondo. Que Dios te bendiga. Mas orgulloso que nunca. Nuestra primer medalla gracias a vos. Que viva Guate.

@Ricardo_Arjona [es]: Erick Barrondo God bless you, I am more proud than ever. Our first medal thanks to you. Viva Guate!

Vice President Roxana Baldetti (@roxanabaldetti) [es] writes on Twitter:

Erick Barrondo at the 2011 Pan American Games. Photo by Flickr user aula2pl, used under Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC 2.0)

@roxanabaldetti: Erick Barrondo es ejemplo de esfuerzo y valentía. Dios lo bendiga! La medalla es un sueño hecho realidad!

@roxanabaldetti [es]: Erick Barrondo is an example of effort and courage. God bless him! The medal is a dream turned into reality!

Sports commentator Edgar Galindo (@Galindogt) shares a picture of the remarkable athlete in the podium, ready to get his medal. Barrondo looks moved by the victory.

Erick Barrondo was born in Aldea Chuyuc, in the San Cristóbal Verapaz municipality, one of the poorest areas of the country which has been particularly affected by the war on drugs. It has been reported that his village and the entire country are getting ready for the celebration.

According to Opina el Balón (@opinaelbalon) [es], Barrondo sent the following message to his nation:

@opinaelbalon: Erick Barrondo: “Me voy a sentir tan orgulloso si alguien deja una pistola y la cambia por unos zapatos para ir al estadio a entrenar”

@opinaelbalon [es]: Erick Barrondo: “I will be very proud if someone leaves the gun and exchanges it for a pair of sneakers to go to the stadium and train”

In a country where violence, corruption and poverty are daily news, this triumph is welcomed as a reason to celebrate how hard work and a supportive family can turn a dream into reality.

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

Guatemala: Indigenous Village Declares Internet Access a Human Right

Renata Avila — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 23:32:55 +0000

In the indigenous village of Santiago Atitlan, Internet access has been declared “a human right” by both inhabitants and local authorities. Authorities are also implementing a plan to provide free community Wi-Fi to the entire population so that everyone can benefit from it and exercise their rights.

The concepts of community and sharing are entrenched in the daily life of indigenous people in Guatemala. Common spaces, open doors, collaboration and sharing are the main characteristics of these communities, especially among small linguistic communities such as the Mayan Tzutuhil indigenous group in the Highlands of Guatemala. As cultures evolve and adapt to new discoveries in science and technology, indigenous cultures are embracing new technologies and adapting their use to accord with traditional principles. Such is the case with Internet access.

Picture by Yo respondo used with permission.

The youth of Santiago Atitlan pro-actively use digital tools. Their programme I respond! and you? (Yo Respondo, y Tu?) [es] is broadcast via the Internet and local cable TV and promoted throughout social networks. There they host dialogues discussing local problems, such as recycling and other ecological issues.

The group dedicated a show to the community Wi-Fi project once the first phase was ready. During the episode, called “Internet… my human right”, Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, was invited to launch the community Wi-Fi. The Special Rapporteur congratulated the community and celebrated that Internet access is recognized as an effective tool to exercise and enforce other rights.

As described by Radio Ati, the community Wi-Fi project is a result of the joint efforts [es] of the population and local authorities:

“Tomás Chiviliú, alcalde municipal, indica que uno de sus propósitos es transparentar la información municipal, por lo que se ha desarrollado una red que permite la circulación informativa entre las distintas dependencias ediles. Este proceso llevó a instalar el equipo necesario para ofrecer Internet a los vecinos. Agrega que “es importante garantizar el acceso a la información en general, beneficiando no solo a la juventud sino también a la empresa local y al turismo”.

“Tomás Chiviliú, mayor of the city, points out that one of his purposes is to bring transparency to local public information, therefore they developed a network allowing the free circulation of information between different local government offices. That led them to install all the necessary equipment and offer Internet to the entire neighbourhood. He added that it is important to guarantee access to information in general, because it is of benefit to the youth, local companies and tourism”.

Picture by Juan Damian used with permission.

While Santiago Atitlan is one of the poorest villages in Central America, it is leading the way by providing communal Internet access. However, the network is password protected: the password, “I am Atitlan” (Yo soy Atitlan), seeks to strengthen local identity and remind its users that the people accessing the network are located next to one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Atitlan Lake. The Municipality of Santiago Atitlan is also very active on Facebook [es] and Twitter with the account @atitlanmuni [es].

Picture by Juan Damian used with permission.

Santiago Atitlan and its people are teaching the rest of us three important lessons: Internet is a rights enabler, since it makes the exercise of other rights possible, such as, the right to know; community Wi-Fi, as described by the mayor, has many benefits; and finally, new technologies are of extreme importance for indigenous cultures, as they enable indigenous youth to share their millenarian cultures with the world, spread their ideas, and invent a future without borders. The future is now, and you can live it in the village of Santiago Atitlan.

Guatemala: Wave of Attacks Against Female Activists

Renata Avila — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 18:19:35 +0000

The intensity of violence against female activists is on the rise in Guatemala. Lolita Chavez, member of the K’iche’ People’s Council, was attacked by armed men who attempted to lynch her as she was returning home after a peaceful protest against abusive extractive practices and projects affecting the environment. Photojournalist James Rodriguez from Mimundo.org explains:

During the morning of the 4th, roughly 400 residents of Quiché, along with members of the CPK, carried out a peaceful protest denouncing local mayor Estuardo Castro’s continuous arrogance and his lack of respect for the people’s refusal to sell their lands to transnational corporations, as proved during the 2010 community consultation.

As the protesters passed the community of Xetinap Quinto, a group of men armed with machetes, sticks and knives intercepted members of the CPK and proceeded to chase and beat several of them. These armed men were particularly interested in recognized leader Lolita Chávez, as they called out her name, chased her, and did manage to injure her, but not seriously. Lolita received cuts and bruises but managed to escape. Nevertheless, three other women were hospitalized due to injuries.

Lolita Chavez by James Rodriguez from MiMundo.org, used with permission

Two weeks ago, in an area close to Guatemala City, Yolanda Oquelí Veliz, a human rights lawyer and leader of a movement against the expansion of mining activities, was also attacked when returning from a pacific protest. The blog FrontlineDefenders reports:

Yolanda is a woman human rights defender in San Jose de Gulfo who is a community leader resisting the Exmigua mine. From everything we've heard, from all sides, mining of minerals such as gold and silver, sand and alloys is a huge issue in Guatemala. Generally the community affected is not consulted. No objective information or public process of consultation takes place to allay fears about damage to the environment; whether the rivers will be polluted; whether the forests will be felled and thus their water supply compromised; and also, what will happen after the mining licence expires and the environment needs to be repaired and rebuilt.

Yolanda Veliz, by James Rodriguez from MiMundo.org, used with permission.

They add:

Yoly (as she wrote her name) has a history of intimidation because of her work. Her lawyer (pro bono) has lodged roughly 10 complaints through the legal process. She has been tear-gassed; graffiti had been written on her walls and threats against her and her children have been significant. Despite this, the Government to date has been mute.

Different networks issued Urgent Actions but the Government has not responded with the requested protection for the activists. Furthermore, civil society has been extremely quiet about the crimes.

Lolita Chavez, by James Rodriguez from MiMundo.org, used with permission.

The defenselessness of citizens directly affected by transnational energy and extractive companies is more visible than ever. However, the apathy shown by media and educated civil society in Guatemala is a sign of the normalization of violence. Traditional media, which labels most acts of dissent as “terrorism,” has given more coverage to arguments in favor of these foreign investments, ignoring the danger faced by activists and citizens who oppose them.

The growing number of attacked human rights defenders, both in urban and rural areas, has been met with silence, rather than adequate responses, from the authorities.

RightsCon: Future of Digital Rights in Latin America and Beyond

Renata Avila — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:14:27 +0000

Activists, business representatives, thinkers and policy makers are meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Human Rights and Technology Conference, hosted by Access in partnership with the Center for Technology and Society from Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil.

Speakers and participants discussed everything from social movements and digital natives, to Net Neutrality and the digital divide.

Andrew Mclaughlin from Tumblr described the most relevant threats to a free Internet:

Here are the key battles: Censorship and political control, which is the erection of a technical architecture of control that can be used for ill. Surveillance and piracy is battleground number two, where we see within the rule of law, outside the rule of law, and by companies themselves. And finally, the structure of the internet is under attack, the battles around network neutrality, wireless network neutrality, competition or the lack thereof, and the legislation that would control it, like SOPA/PIPA, ACTA and CISPA.

Jochai Ben Abi from Access at Rightscon Picture by Paulo Rena under a Creative Commons License

Brett Solomon, director of Access, highlighted the importance of Latin America in shaping the future:

We acknowledge the leadership in Latin America on the many things that are taking place. The marco civil in Brazil, the Costa Rican recognition of access to the internet as a fundamental human right.

Via video conference, Marietje Schaake, MEP for the Netherlands, told attendees we are entering a new era of diplomacy:

A new era of global Internet politics kicked off with the introduction of the idea of the ITU managing the Internet. I don’t believe that a UN body could regulate this effectively, and I don’t believe that government alone, without a multi-stakeholder approach, could govern the Internet. And we must be careful that emerging economies don’t push human rights off the agenda, when economic growth is on the table. Western companies must stop providing technology for censorship and surveillance. IT is a fundamental misunderstanding of the rule of law.

A roundtable also discussed how digital natives are changing the World, using the #yosoy132 movement in Mexico as an example.

While discussing privacy and security, computer expert and activist Jacob Appelbaum advocated for strong protection of privacy and cautious use of social networks. He said:

Facebook in some ways is Stasibook–you report on your friends all the time.

He later explained the importance of security technologies being available for all, even for the “bad guys”:

As a planet, I think we need to make a decision to all be secure, even some bad guys, rather than to all be insecure, and policed by governments which are not good at self-regulating, and are not transparent or accountable about what they do with this information.

A small delegation of Global Voices authors is attending the conference, including Ellery Biddle and Jillian York from the U.S.A., Claudio Ruiz from Chile, Diego Casaes from Brazil, and Elaine Diaz from Cuba.

During the conference The Guardian Project, an initiative which aims to create technologies and hardware to protect communications and personal data from intrusion and monitoring, organized the Free Bird Event, a one-day workshop that aims to empower mobile technology users with greater knowledge about security and privacy.

At the conference, the Access Innovation Prize was announced, which will distribute USD100,000.00 around the World. The deadline to apply for the prize is August 15, 2012 and anyone in the World can apply for any of its five categories. The award's website explains:

The Access Innovation Prize is designed to discover and reward ideas that demonstrate unique promise, opportunity and possibility. You can submit a near to complete project, improve an existing tool or create something totally new.

The conference ends today, June 1, with a discussion on the future of digital rights in Latin America and beyond, but the conversation around theses issues is just starting.

Liveblogging has been facilitated by @krmaher; Live-streaming has also also available, and the Twitter account @rightscon –tweeting in three different languages– is more active than ever. Anyone around the World can send a question to specific panels, so start the conversation and share your comments on how businesses can improve and side with citizens while defending digital freedom.

Guatemala: State of Siege Due to Hydroelectric Plant Conflict

Renata Avila — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:51:50 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

The Guatemalan government has declared a state of siege in Santa Cruz Barillas, following demonstrations and clashes sparked by the death of a community leader who opposed the construction of a hydroelectric plant. Citizens from this community have been using blogs and social networks to report on the current conflict.

Santa Cruz Barillas is located in Huehuetenango, one of the most culturally diverse areas in Guatemala, where members of at least four different indigenous groups live, and where Spanish speakers are the exception rather than the norm. It is also the place where the cruelest, most brutal acts of genocide were perpetrated by members of the Army back in the 1980s.

The process of peace and reconciliation never arrived there; in some of the massacres there were no survivors left behind. It is also one of the most impoverished areas with a rate of 79.7% child malnourishment [es].

The community vs. the hydroelectric plant

The unrest first started with a disagreement between Spanish energy corporation Hidralia Energia [es] (@HidraliaEnergia) [es] and the inhabitants of Santa Cruz Barillas. According to the company's public relations website, the project complies [es] with environmental regulations. However, the company did not ask for the community's approval to build the hydroelectric plant.

The entire community [es], through their legitimate representatives in each and every Community Development Council (COCODE), have opposed the hydroelectric plant, asserting that it will seriously harm the Cambalan river environment, as reported by a Santa Cruz Barillas news portal [es]. In October 2011, community leaders publicly condemned [es] and rejected the project, and during the following months the confrontation increased.

Back in 2007, more than 46,000 members of the community had voted against mining and hydroelectric companies through a mechanism of public consultation.

Picture by SantaCruzBarillas.org under a Creative Commons License

In late April 2012, allegations of land mines placed around the hydroelectric company to protect it from any disruptive actions triggered a series of protests where citizens expressed their concern and demanded that the company be expelled from the community. Protesters denounced the mined field at the offices of the police, and later demanded protection and action from the army.

Citizen media connections

In spite of limited connectivity, unstable electricity and geographical isolation – or maybe because of the latter – Santa Cruz Barillas has high quality, interactive citizen media, which is key for understanding the community's dynamics and problems, especially in moments of tension.

During the last weekend of April 2012, villagers in Santa Cruz Barillas were kicking off their local annual festivities, starting with a beauty pageant to elect the 2012/13 Mayan Q'anjob'al beauty queen, as Pancholon reported on his blog [es]. Several of these activities were even livestreamed [es], offering an opportunity for the diaspora, especially in Los Angeles, California, to watch the festivities and also become aware of local issues, such as the hydroelectric one.

Blogs represent a bridge between these two communities living so far apart and they share information through a social network called Barillenses [es], and also use Facebook and Twitter (@barillas) [es].

Among the disagreements between the community and the company was the obstruction of pedestrian movement in a public area due to the works of the company. Pancholon reported the incident in his blog [es] and provided a copy of the complaint from the community to the police.

Pancholon also shared his concern [es] that there is pressure on local media to not report on the incident:

Se ha solicitado a los medios de comunicacion en Barillas a no hacer eco de esta noticia por temor a represalias y no pasar anuncios publicitarios a favor de la empresa Hidro Santa Cruz. La poblacion de Santa Cruz Barillas ha puesto una denuncia ante el Juzgado de paz porque se ha encontrado artefactos explosivos activados y la denotacion de bombas tipo Claimor en la entrada donde se esta construyendo la Hidroelectrica. Los vecinos se dedican al trabajo de cultivar la tierra y temen que encuentren en su camino mas explosivos, tambien han sido obgetos de amenazas, intimidaciones via telefonica por parte de trabajadores de HIDRO-SANTA CRUZ

Media in Barillas have been asked not to spread the news about the conflict, as people are scared of reprisals, and not to publish any advertisement of the company Hidro Santa Cruz. The people of Barillas filed a complaint before the minor court because they found active land mines and Claymore-style bombs in the entrance where the company is building the hydroelectric plant. The community is dedicated to cultivating the land and are afraid of finding more explosives on their way to work. They have also been subject to threats and intimidatory phone calls from workers of Hidro Santa Cruz.

As reported earlier, one of the community leaders – Andrés Francisco Miguel – was killed and two others were seriously injured in their face and arms in the aftermath of these events. The community blamed the company. Since the village was celebrating its annual festivities, some of the people present were drunk and the unrest lead to the destruction of public facilities and private property. It is uncertain whether the community leaders were involved or not.

NotiBarillas [es], one of the leading local media outlets in Barillas, reports that the government declared a state of siege for 30 days and restricted, but did not cancel, the festivities in the village. They also provide a comprehensive timeline [es] of the conflict and events leading to the recent developments: more than 12 people have been arrested, including a 74-year-old woman accused of keeping unlicensed guns in her residence.

Through its blog, the peoples’ Council demanded [es] the release of the arrested community leaders and condemned the President's declarations claiming that the protests were linked to drug dealers and organized crime. Diverse social organizations, like legal advocacy group SERJUS [es] and other organizations from the neighboring Ixcan locality, demanded [es] an exhaustive investigation to discover who was behind the killing of community leader Andrés Francisco Miguel.

Declaring a state of siege has been the reiterated practice of the last three governments when situations get out of the authorities’ control. Meanwhile, citizen participation mechanisms where all stakeholders can convene and agree on the best solution have been largely ignored.

An open letter to the President was published today in a collective Latin American Social Scientists blog [es], signed by dozens of well know academics and institutions, demanding that the President of Guatemala defend the people over enterprises and private companies.

According to the government of Guatemala's Twitter account (@GuatemalaGob) [es] the President visited Santa Cruz Barillas on May 7. His message favors the hydroelectric plant and blames the conflict on organized crime and ideological disagreement. He also affirmed he will increased the number of soldiers in the village.

In his communique [es] he did not mention the killed local man, but showed the injuries of one of the soldiers.

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

Guatemala: Former Dictator Efraín Rios Montt Questioned for Genocide

Renata Avila — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:20:08 +0000

Human rights activists feared that the presidential victory of former general Otto Perez Molina would mean a step backwards in transitional justice in Guatemala. However, this week, two landmark events have given clear signs that Guatemala's fragile democracy is maturing.

On January 26, the Guatemalan Congress ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, allowing the international tribunal to prosecute any human rights abusers if Guatemala fails to do so; the same day, after years of being shielded by parliamentary immunity, former de facto President Efraín Rios Montt was questioned for his involvement in the genocide of 1,700 Mayan indigenous people in 1982–1983, during Guatemala's thirty-six-year civil war (1960-1996).

Boy stands in front of the names of the victims of genocide. Photo by Renata Avila under an Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Creative Commons license.

In the blog SALTLaw, in a post titled “A good dawn for justice in Guatemala,” Raquel Aldana writes about the significance of Rios Montt facing trial for genocide and crimes against humanity:

Today was a historic day for Guatemala. A few hours ago, after a long day of heady hearings, a Guatemalan court opened a criminal case for genocide against Retired Military General Efraín Ríos Montt and ordered him detained under house arrest. Now 85, the retired general must face trial accused of being responsible for one hundred massacres, which produced a death toll of one thousand, seven hundred and seventy one victims. Ríos Montt, who until recently enjoyed immunity after serving nearly two decades as Congressman in Guatemala, had been de facto president during the most brutal 17 months of the 36 year-long civil war, between 1982 and 1983.

She continues reporting on Rios Montt's appearance in court:

When asked in court today if he understood the charges he faced, Ríos Montt said into the microphone “I understand perfectly.” Then, instead of making a formal declaration of guilt or not guilt, he stated a preference for silence. Outside the courthouse today, indigenous Guatemalans laid red rose petals spelling impunity no more. Meanwhile, the Guatemalan Congress ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

On the Council of Foreign Affairs Blog, Natalie Kitroeff lays out Rios Montt's defense.

Ríos Montt has made his defense quite clear. Over the past month, he has repeatedly said that he can’t be tried for any human rights violations because he wasn’t in charge of the military’s on-the-ground operations as the country’s political leader. His lawyer has echoed these claims, telling the press recently, “We are sure that there is no responsibility, since he was never on the battlefield.”

She goes on to explain:

This strategy is a radical new approach in the Guatemalan context. Until now, the military has consistently denied that genocide was ever a part of the civil war. Even the current president, Otto Pérez Molina, said that he doesn’t believe the findings of the UN truth commission, and that he could “prove that [genocide] did not occur,” during the conflict. But Ríos Montt is now arguing not that the atrocities didn’t happen, but that he is not culpable.

While this doesn’t yet amount to an open acknowledgement of genocide, it does suggest that things have changed (if slightly) since the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) first brought charges against Ríos Montt in 1999. The discovery of mass graves by the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) and the tireless work of victims groups in pushing for trials – finally winning convictions for four ex-soldiers this year – has made it untenable for the military to negate the genocide outright, at least in a court of law.

"Wanted. Mejia Victores and Rios Mont for genocide." Graffiti in Guatemala City. Photo by The Advocacy Project under an Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) Creative Commons license

In the blog Lawyers, Guns and Money, Erik Loomis looks at what Rios Montt's trial means for Guatemala today:

Today, Guatemala faces a new period of instability due to the expansion of drug gangs from Mexico and El Salvador into their country and its unfortunately convenient stop on the drug highway to the United States. Whereas thirty years ago, people wanted to dismantle the police force because of its horrifying repression, today people are putting hope in the police as the one thing that could stand in the way of a new generation of shocking violence. Forcing Ríos Montt to face trial for his crimes is not going to solve any of Guatemala’s enormous problems, but it might at least force the defenders of violence in that nation to think twice about their actions.

Mike, in Central American Politics, reports that Rios Montt was granted bail and will remain under domiciliary arrest during the trial. Mike adds his opinion:

A tremendous victory for the people of Guatemala and a continuation of what I believe has been a pretty remarkable year-plus of human rights advancement in the region.

These two events show that, without turning a blind eye to the past and the terrible atrocities that were committed during the country's civil war, Guatemala seeks to become a country where international human rights standards are respected and enforced. The fact that President Otto Perez Molina, a former Army General, has not interfered with the case and has backed the signing of the Rome Statute gives Guatemalans hope that in the near future justice will arrive earlier, before criminals are dead, or too old or too sick to face trial.