We have just received the following news from Casa Alianza in Guatemala:

In the past several months, Casa Alianza has been denouncing the “social cleansing” for which the State of Guatemala must be held responsible by omission, as no action has been taken, despite the fact that day after day, children and teenagers are murdered, and their bodies appear with obvious evidence of the torture they have suffered. Equally, street children are constantly threatened and intimidated by Police forces. Many of them live in permanent fear of being murdered by Police or by contracted killers.

Last week, a group of children who remain on the streets of the central zone of Guatemala City told Casa Alianza Educators that a group of soldiers parked close to them in two cars. A few minutes later, the soldiers got out of the vehicles and attacked and humiliated them. Children identified the Car Licences as being 007GDH and 010GDH.

The children talked about this situation with Street Educators from Casa Alianza, and indicated that similar actions had occurred in recent weeks, and on some occasions they have taken other children, without apparent reason. “They have taken children inside a pickup to hurt them”, related one child. These events were officially denounced at the Public Ministry of Guatemala, and put forward for investigation (Verbal Denouncement No. MP001-2006-38029).

Casa Alianza is concerned about the lack of guarantees assuring the lives and integrity of street children in Guatemala, and demands an accurate investigation of such events as those described above, considering excessive force and abuse of police and military powers to be responsible, and demanding a response. The intention is to then utilize the legal system, applying legislation in order to ensure justice.

On May 4th and 5th the United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) held its 36th session in Geneva, and examined the report on the State of Guatemala in its compliance with the UN Convention against Torture, and recommendations suggested a need “To derogate every legal disposition which authorizes (repeal the legal basis for) the Army of Guatemala to participate in police activities to prevent common criminality”.

Also, the Committee asked the State of Guatemala to provide information of adopted measures to apply recommendations regarding denouncements of “social cleansing” against children and adolescents, especially the murders of street children and children from marginalized areas, who often appear with clear evidence of torture and ill-treatment.

During the past few years, the State of Guatemala has failed to respond to most of the UN and NGOs’ concerns with regards to the impunity of aggressors and the lack of reparation provided to victims of torture and ill-treatment in the country. Casa Alianza demands that the State of Guatemala implement a plan to combat this violence, in order to respect children’s human rights.

Casa Alianza Guatemala is a branch of Covenant House New York, and works to protect the rights of children. We depend on your financial support to carry out our mission.

UPDATE (9th June):  The Director of Casa Alianza held a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior to present new cases of violence against children.

Using the justification of a suggested need to control increased violence, the State of Guatemala recently formed a Security Unit, integrated with ex soldiers, in order to impose security within the country. This Unit, instead of combating organized bands of crime, has intimidated and created fear in vulnerable populations, such as street children, and children from marginalized areas.

Casa Alianza recently denounced the case of three boys who where severely hurt by soldiers to authorities at the Public Ministry. At the denouncement, Casa Alianza provided the Car Licences of the vehicles used by the aggressors. A few days later, we confirmed that the Car Licences were Official Licences, which means that the vehicles belong to the army, or to the police.

Aggression against children committed by soldiers has continued, and a few days ago, a street educator from Casa Alianza was threatened by a Police Officer. Below we include a presentation of some of these cases.
 
Police Officer threatens Street Educator from Casa Alianza

Last June 1st, a group of street educators from Casa Alianza were completing their normal activities with street children, when a patrol vehicle with Car Licences No. 11-059 with two policemen inside stopped at the place where the activity was being held. One of the policemen called to a Street Educator in an aggressive and abusive manner. The Educator came close to the car, and the Policemen asked what he was doing, to which the educator responded that he belonged to Casa Alianza, an organization that works to protect the human rights of street children, and that he was talking to the children. The Police Officer replied: “You also take care, don’t get involved and disturb things, as something may also happen to you”.    

After the patrol left, the Educators talked to the children and asked if the police agents had upset them. A child said that they usually ask them for money, and that they threaten them constantly.

Thirteen year old boy is forced to take off his pants in public

Last June 6th, at around 7:00 a.m., a group of street children were sleeping in a park, when a group of soldiers came to them and started to threaten them and check their clothing, looking for drugs. Bryan, a 13 year old boy, commented that the soldiers forced them to remove their pants, in front of a group of people that were in the vicinity. He also said that the soldiers insulted them.
 
Humiliation of and aggression towards a street teenager.

A Street Educator from the Movement of Street Children relates that last June 2nd, she was walking in the central zone of Guatemala City, when she saw a soldier pushing a street teenager against a window with his gun. The soldier then bent the teenagers´ arm, forcing him to fall to the floor. The Educator then went to the soldier and asked him to stop mistreating the teenager. He replied “Aren’t you ashamed to be the friend of a thief?” She replied that if it was the case, the soldier should formally charge the boy, but that he shouldn’t be hurting him. After that, a pickup from the National Police appeared and said to the Educator that they were going to take the boy, in order to prevent the soldier from continuing to hurt him.

Threats and Aggression Against Children from a Public School

Students from a Public Nocturnal School have been constantly intimidated by soldiers and policemen. One of them, a 14 year old boy, relates that he has been intimidated by policemen, as they accuse him of taking drugs. The child has to show them his School ID card to be able to continue on his way, but the policemen usually ask him for money. The child says that he has not been able to give them money, and that makes him fearful, as they usually tell him that they will be waiting for him when he leaves school. Every night, the child is scared of leaving the school, as he believes that the policemen are waiting for him.

Another 14 year old boy told us that after school he was walking close to his house, when a group of men put a jacket over his head and pushed him into a car. He was taken to a place he could not identify, where the men started to torture him, putting a gun to his head, repeating that he had to confess who provided him with drugs. There than appeared another man, who apparently was the chief, and when he saw the boy told the other men: “He is not the one we were looking for, let him go”. A few minutes later, the men left him in a deserted zone of Guatemala City. 

This child was severely hurt on his face, and he has not been able to return to school. A few months ago, he and his family migrated from the countryside to Guatemala City, looking for a better life.

Ministry of the Interior offers to control situation

The Director of Casa Alianza, Arturo Echeverría, asked for an urgent meeting with Carlos Vielman, Minister of the Interior, who immediately gave him an interview. After he was made aware of the cases mentioned above, he offered to take action to prevent the intimidation of children, and the aggression frequently shown towards them, and he asked the General Inspector of the National Police to investigate these cases.

Casa Alianza once again completely denounces these acts of violence, and demands repeatedly that the State of Guatemala implements concrete actions to protect children. Casa Alianza also requires that the cases presented to the authorities be investigated, so that perpetrators of such crimes do not continue to act with impunity, for example, in this instance Car Licences of the aggressors have been provided, which demands an investigation and trial to obtain convictions for these crimes. 

More information:

Tel. (502) 2433 9600
comunicacion2 [at] casaalianza.org.gt