For some years now, walking through the streets of the historic center of Guatemala City, we are astonished by the hundreds of photographs that paper some of its walls. They are the faces of people who disappeared during Guatemala’s Internal Armed Conflict (IAC), lasting over three decades, and ending with the signing of the Peace Accords in December 1996.
On May 27, 2021, eleven former military officers were arrested and charged by the Human Rights Prosecutor’s Office of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) with serious human rights violations committed during the Internal Armed Conflict (IAC). These arrests are part of the “Diario Militar” (DM) case, referring to a document also known as the “Death Squad Dossier”, which contains detailed information about the capture and disappearance of 183 people between August 1983 and March 1985.
June 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the unanimous endorsement by the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These Principles represent a step forward in the attempt to transition to a fairer economic growth model by recognizing the shared responsibilities of the State and the private sector in promoting sustainable development and protecting human rights.
(published in Bulletin 46, December 2021)
The first cases of COVID-19, detected in Wuhan, China, were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019 and, on March 11, 2020, the WHO declared a pandemic. This situation has posed a great challenge for countries and governments around the world, who have had to react quickly to minimize contagions, avoid the collapse of health systems and cushion the economic crisis which, once again, is being experienced with particular force by por and vulnerable populations.
40 years ago, in 1981, a group of international activists came together to create a movement for peace, solidarity and non-violent action. Inspired by non-violent activism across the world, inlcuding the movement spearheaded by Gandhi in India and the Civil Rig
See our 2020 Annual Review for information about last year’s activities as we celebrate our 40th anniversary.
40 years ago, in 1981, a group of international activists came together to create a movement for peace, solidarity and non-violent action.
“The communities in rural areas were caught by the storm while they were sleeping and had to escape then and there, leaving all their belongings, clothes, food and animals. Entire communities were completely flooded, and the waters have still not receded.
Being a journalist or social or community communicator in Guatemala is a high risk activity. According to the Reporters Without Borders 2020 report on freedom of the press, Guatemala is now in the “red zone”, ranked 116 out of 180 countries worldwide. The same report states that: “The new president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, who took office in January 2020, inherited a disastrous situation in terms of freedom of the press.
The indigenous peoples of Iximulew, which was renamed Guatemala during the colonial era, have been claiming the right to free determination over their economic, social and cultural development and the territory which they inhabit for years and using their own forms of governance. This right is recognized internationally through two legal instruments ratified by the Republic of Guatemala: ILO Convention 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
On 22nd April this year we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the theme is climate action. In order to celebrate this day, PBI draws attention to the plight of environmental defenders who put their lives at risk to protect their territories from economic projects that destroy ecosystems and instigate irreversible damage.