Guatemala Solidarity Network: the blog

This blog is moving...

Patrick — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:49:00 +0100

Hi there all, we've moved this blog to its new home here.

The posts here will stay as archive posts, and will gradually be migrated. If you receive our blog by email, you don't need to do anything. If you're subscribed to this RSS feed (http://gsn.civiblog.org/blog/index.xml), you'll need to update to either:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/GuatemalaSolidarityNetworkTheBlog

or

http://www.guatemalasolidarity.org.uk/?q=rss.xml

Thanks for reading.

UK Foreign Office Minister, Meg Munn, visits Guatemala

Patrick — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:22:04 +0100

Foreign Office Minister, Meg Munn, visits Guatemala as part of her official visit to Belize and Guatemala. Seems the Foreign Office is going Web 2.0 crazy with the YouTube videos and Meg Munn's Flickr set. Foreign Office website is currently down- so we'll be posting on this visit to Casa Alianza later.

BBC Mundo - Feminicide in Guatemala

Kevin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:53:38 +0100

BBC Mundo has opened up this opportunity to ask questions of three Guatemalan women who are at the forefront of the struggle for justice in the case of feminicide in Guatemala.

Good news - historic conviction against police agent

Gillian — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:08:06 +0100

Historic verdict in case of police officer accused of raping a woman in custody.

New website for the campaign for Justice Nueva Linda

Patrick — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:38:15 +0100

New website for the campaign for Justice Nueva Linda who are seeking justice in the forced disappearance of Hector Reyes. You can find more about the case of Hector Reyes on this blog here.

Justicia Nueva Linda: In their own words

¿Quien SOMOS?

El grupo campesino pro justicia en Nueva Linda es una expresión de lucha y resistencia contra la represión del Estado y la impunidad de los latifundistas, se origina por el secuestro del compañero Héctor René Reyes Pérez el día 5 de septiembre de 2003, hasta entonces administrador de la finca Nueva Linda de Retalhuleu.

En dicho acto resulta directamente involucrado el propietario de la finca, Carlos Vidal Fernández y su escolta de seguridad, quienes hasta la fecha, no solamente siguen en total libertad sino además se han incrementado los actos represivos en contra de la familia de Reyes y los campesinos que le apoyan.

¿Qué QUEREMOS?

Aspiramos la justicia y la paz para la familia de Héctor Reyes y las demás familias campesinas que le acompañan solidariamente en esta lucha, para que los autores materiales e intelectuales de la persecución, agresión, secuestro y asesinato de varios campesinos del Movimiento Pro Justicia Nueva Linda, tanto por parte de las fuerzas de seguridad del Estado, así como los terratenientes, sean juzgados y castigados con todo el peso de la Ley.

¿Qué HACEMOS?

A partir del secuestro del compañero Héctor Reyes hemos exigido justicia en todas las dependencias del Estado, sin embargo, lejos de obtenerla, hemos sido víctimas de agresiones de finqueros latifundistas en su mayoría de nacionalidad española y de la criminalización de nuestra lucha de parte del gobierno; por ello ocupamos pacíficamente la finca Nueva Linda durante varios meses, pero fuimos desalojados violentamente en dos ocasiones.

Desde el 21 de noviembre de 2004 instalamos nuestras viviendas a la orilla de la carretera, frente a la entrada principal de la finca, como medida de protesta por la falta de aplicación de justicia, habiendo sido desalojados en dos ocasiones y perseguidos por los latifundistas y la policía nacional civil. Además estamos dándole seguimiento a 4 procesos judiciales que comprenden:

- Secuestro de Héctor Reyes el 5 de septiembre de 2003,
- Muertes extrajudiciales en desalojo violento de la finca el 31 de agosto de 2004,
- Secuestro, tortura y asesinato de Eufemia López Morán 25 de abril de 2004,
- Agresión e Intento de Secuestro de René Eustaquio Reyes el 2 de abril de 2004,
- Intento de asesinato en contra del grupo campesino el 21 de noviembre de 2004,
- Lesiones graves producidas por arma de fuego a varios campesinos del grupo.

Nuestra lucha se ha fortalecido gracias a la solidaridad de organizaciones nacionales e internacionales como: el Comité de Desarrollo Campesino, Bloque Anitimperialista, ACOGUATE, Collectif Guatemala y Action Rights.

Documentary: Km207 Justicia por Nueva Linda

Part One

Part Two

Conclusions From Civil Society On The UE-AC Trade Talks

Patrick — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:54:02 +0100

We just received this round up from CIFCA with conclusions on the latest round of trade negotiations between the European Union and Central American countries. For the full round up download the attached report in Spanish below (PDF).

CONCLUSIONES DEL ENCUENTRO: LA SOCIEDAD CIVIL TOMA LA PALABRA

El pasado 27 de febrero de 2008 en el marco de la II Ronda de negociaciones entre América Central y la Unión Europea, las redes Europeas APRODEV, Amigos de la Tierra Europa, CIDSE, CIFCA, Grupo SUR, Federación Internacional de Derechos Humanos –FIDH- y Oxfam Internacional, junto con la Red Latinoamericana ALOP, organizaron el encuentro: “La sociedad Civil toma la Palabra”.

Un evento celebrado gracias al apoyo del Presidente de la Delegación para América Central del Parlamento Europeo Raimon Obiols y la receptividad de distintos Grupos Políticos presentes en la Eurocámara como el Grupo Socialista Europeo, Partido Popular Europeo, Los Verdes y Izquierda Unitaria Europea.

Destacar también, la acogida de las partes negociadoras como Comisión Europea y los gobiernos centroamericanos, así como los valiosos aportes de organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil centroamericana y europea en este encuentro. El objetivo era sacar la discusión del ámbito exclusivo de las partes y de las salas de negociación y de poner de manifiesto la importancia de estas negociaciones más allá del comercio.

Video: Desaparicion Forzada en Guatemala: desenterrando el olvido

Patrick — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:12:57 +0100

Part one of Secil Oswaldo de Leon's documentary on the issue of forced disappearances.

Part two of Secil Oswaldo de Leon's documentary on the issue of forced disappearances.

Part three of Secil Oswaldo de Leon's documentary on the issue of forced disappearances.

Part four of Secil Oswaldo de Leon's documentary on the issue of forced disappearances.

'Secrets of the CIA': Phil Roettinger tells his story

Patrick — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:28:07 +0100

Secrets of the CIA is a film written and directed by James Otis. Produced by Turner Original Productions, Inc., 1998. The transcript below is an extract courtesy of John Bernhart. Full transcript is available here from Darrel G Moen's blog.

A frightening and true story, Secrets of the CIA draws on highly personal stories of numerous ex-CIA agents.

Phil Roettinger: I went through World War II as an officer in the Marine Corps, came back, and one night the doorbell rang and I want [to the door] and here was this nattily dressed man in a nice suit and a snap-brim hat. And he said, "May I come in?" And I said, "Well, I think you had better identify yourself. Who are you?" "Well," he said, "I know who you are and you've been recommended very highly to our organization." I said, "What's your organization?" [He said,] "Well, I'm not at liberty to tell you what the organization is." And I said, "This is crazy! But I told him, "Come on in," [because] he was a little guy and I thought I could handle him pretty well. And he said, "You have been accepted in our organization, and we want you to go to Central America." And I said, "What? Central America? Come on!" So that's how it happened. I was to join this group that went to Central America and I found out that I was supposed to be in charge of overthrowing a government in Central America. "It doesn't sound right," and I said, "What's the government?" "Well," [he said,] we don't want to go into it too deeply here, yet." "Well," I said, "I think you'd better forget the whole thing." "Oh, no no no no no! It's very important," and so finally he did let out that we were going to overthrow the government of Guatemala.

Well now, I had been to Guatemala before several years before that because I was a member of the U.S. Olympic team and we were requested to go down and help organize the Games, the Central American/Caribbean Games.

Voiceover: Doves are released: living symbols of the peace and friendship among the twenty-two nations represented.

Phil Roettinger: So I knew people down there. I knew this gentleman by the name of Arbenz, and the CIA was going to have me overthrow these friends of mine. Well, they explained to me that this is extremely important to the security of the United States. (When they pull that, you know there's something wrong because the United States is so secure that nobody is ever going to do anything to it.) Anyway, so I said, "Well, okay, I'll do it." And we organized a group of dissident Guatemalans, armed them and trained them minimally, and sent them off up to overthrow the government [Operation El Diablo].

Voiceover: Fighting ends in Guatemala. These rebel troops backed by air power have compelled the ousting of Guatemala's pro-communist regime and have won a ceasefire from government forces. That red rule in Guatemala is over is grimly symbolized by the determination of the insurgents themselves and by this effigy of ex-president Arbenz who fled the country. The sign reads: "Go back to Russia."

Richard Nixon: You know there were some people during the Arbenz regime that said there was a question as to whether it was truly a communist regime and as to whether it was controlled by Moscow. Do we have here the proof that there was no question whatsoever?

1954 Guatemala Coup Spokesman: There was no doubt at all that Russia controlled all the communists here in Guatemala, sir.

Richard Nixon: In other words, the Arbenz regime was not a Guatemala government; it was a foreign government controlled by foreigners.

Phil Roettinger: What happened was that they went up there and caused great bloodshed and great damage, which have never been corrected even to this day. That started the whole thing in Guatemala and is why we're having all this trouble today.

The only thing that can be done, of course, is to work with our Congress because everything that happens in Latin America or any place else in the world begins in our Congress.

Now look: Are you in favor of killing somebody that you don't know? Are you in favor of torturing somebody? Are you in favor of locking people up in dungeons and things? Are you really in favor of that because I don't think that you are? And I think that I can get that across to you pretty well if I get a chance to talk to you like that.

Ralph McGehee: I feel that because of the problems that I went through, the realizations that I came to, the efforts that I've taken to counter--if I may call it this--this monster, that I am contributing so much now that I could not have contributed had I not joined the agency.

Verne Lyon: There's no way I can make amends, but certainly helping in this effort to expose the abuses of our intelligence services, perhaps, in some small way will help pay that debt.

Narrator: In an organization that celebrates loyalty and security, the public confessions of these former agents have been hard to swallow, but as revelations of the Agency's failures and deceit pile up, the courage to speak out has spread from one agent to another.

Phil Roettinger: I promise that I will do as much as I can for peace in Latin America. Thank you very much.

Background

More information on Operation PBSuccess
Charlie Clements Reflects on Guatemala, Past and Present
The Secret Government - PBS Documentary
Guatemala's Respite From War

Guatemala Human Rights Commission: Report 11-17 April

Patrick — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:32:44 +0100

This excellent weekly report can't be found on the web- we publish it here with kind permission from CDHG on this blog.

INFORME SEMANAL SOBRE DERECHOS HUMANOS
Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala

=======================================
Fuentes directas CDHG, Prensa Libre, Siglo Veintiuno, El Periódico, Guatemala Hoy
=======================================
CDHG
2 Av. 4-66, apto. C-4, zona 1.
Tel/Fax: (502) 22203576 /22534285
E-mail: cdhg@intelnett.com
=======================================

These are the headlines- for the full report click on 'more':

- Organizaciones civiles denuncian incumplimiento de Guatemala con resoluciones de CIDH
- Alcalde de Zunil, Quetzaltenango sufre atentado
- Fundación Myrna Mack pide agilización de aprobación de nueva ley de armas
- Tras tres días, culmina marcha del CUC, que celebró su 30 aniversario
- Estudio de la USAC revela niveles alarmantes de contaminación
- Gobierno y magisterio firman pacto colectivo de condiciones de trabajo

The eighth annual Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards

Patrick — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:59:30 +0100

Alvaro Colom, President of Guatemala, recently told supporters: "plant truth and justice and you will reap reconciliation, as Bishop Gerardi used to say".

Award-winning novelist Francisco Goldman is nominated for the T R Fyvel Book Award which honours freedom of expression through literature as part of the Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Awards 2008. His book The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed Bishop Gerardi? is an account of the battle to bring a bishop's murderers to justice.

Also nominated for the Bindmans Law and Campaigning is Lydia cacho, an activist and veteran investigative journalist, committed to exposing the plight of abused and exploited woman and children in Mexico. The award is given to lawyers or campaigners who have fought repression, or have struggled to change political climates and perceptions.

The eighth annual Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards will be presented on Monday 21 April, 2008 at Christchurch Spitalfields, London. The ceremony will be hosted by Anna Ford, with keynote speech by Alan Johnston

More information about the nominees:

- Francisco Goldman: While the Gerardi murder was big news in the United States, it was not so for the rest of the world. A human rights activist, the bishop had dared to challenge a military-dominated regime that was the most bloodthirsty in Latin America. He was bludgeoned to death as a direct result of a report he had published. Francisco Goldman is an award-winning American-Guatemalan writer whose compelling investigation, The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed Bishop Gerardi? exposes the corruption that permeated the Guatemalan authorities through to the President during the late 1990s.

- Lydia Cacho: Despite the personal danger it entailed, Lydia Cacho has received widespread recognition and praise for her commitment to exposing the exploitation and abuse of women and children in Mexico.

Guatemalan Government Actions On Food Security Issue

Patrick — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:28:08 +0100

Democracy Now! ran the following headline: "UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned the growing global food crisis has reached emergency proportions. Ban Ki-moon said the international community needs to take urgent action in order to avert a larger political and global security crisis. On Monday, President Bush ordered the release of $200 million in emergency food aid to help alleviate food shortages in developing countries. The World Bank estimates world food prices have risen 80 percent over the past three years and that at least thirty-three countries face social unrest as a result."

In Guatemala, President Alvaro Colom made the following appeal to the nation in the face of rising oil and food prices:

According to Prensa Libre (6th April 2008):

"Según el último monitoreo efectuado el 3 de abril del 2008, por la Secretaría de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional (Sesan), seis mil 147 comunidades en todo el país presentan algún grado de riesgo y registran casos de niños con desnutrición. De éstas, 332 están en muy alto riesgo, de las cuales 93 se encuentran en el departamento de Totonicapán.

De los 22 departamentos del país, 20 registran algún tipo de desnutrición. Alta Verapaz y San Marcos son los que tienen mayor número de comunidades en niveles variados de riesgo, 972 y 967, respectivamente, pero es Totonicapán el que tiene más comunidades en muy alto riesgo, y Momostenango es el municipio más afectado, con un total de 31, seguido de San Bartolo Aguas Calientes, con 28."

Prensa Libre ran a story on 28th January reporting significant increases in cases of malnutrition in Guatemala.

Hiawatha: An Attempt To Understand Cultures And Peace

Patrick — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:28:14 +0100

The publication of "The Song of Hiawatha" in 1855 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow marked an early attempt in Western literature to join native American concepts with a Finnish epic's meter.

On the Mountains of the Prairie,
On the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
He the Master of Life, descending,
On the red crags of the quarry
Stood erect, and called the nations,
Called the tribes of men together.

There's little connection between Longfellow's hero and the sixteenth-century Iroquois chief Hiawatha who founded the Iroquois League. Longfellow took the name from works by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, whom he acknowledged as his main sources. In 1856 Schoolcraft published The Hiawatha Legends, based on this material.

Despite this it is an enduring symbol of the attempt by North American writers to discover and understand the native American culture that mainstream society was largely ignorant of. I can't help feeling it mirrors many of the challenges facing the outsider trying to understand the Maya and their descendants in Guatemala.

Here below is a full reading of the poem "The Song of Hiawatha". You can download the original here from Project Gutenberg or view it online here.

Credits:

BBC R4 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 'The Song of Hiawatha' (abridged)
Music by Mia Soteriou
Pipes by William Lyons
Abridged by Tom Holland
Produced by Viv Beeby and Jeremy Howe
Broadcast May 21, 2000

Cast
Narrator - Timothy West
Hiawatha - Chris Garner
Gitche Manito - Burt Caesar
Little Hiawatha - Sam Fry
Iagoo - Chris Harris
Chibiabos - Peter Polycarpou
Pau-Puk-Keewis - Gary Sharkey
Mudjekeewis - Bill Wallis
Nokomis - Mia Soteriou
Minnehaha - Nicole Arumugam
Chorus - Tom Espiner and Chris Grimes

Guatemala Human Rights Commission: Report 4-10 April

Patrick — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:40:44 +0100

This excellent weekly report can't be found on the web- we publish it here with kind permission from CDHG on this blog.

INFORME SEMANAL SOBRE DERECHOS HUMANOS
Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala

=======================================
Fuentes directas CDHG, Prensa Libre, Siglo Veintiuno, El Periódico, Guatemala Hoy
=======================================
CDHG
2 Av. 4-66, apto. C-4, zona 1.
Tel/Fax: (502) 22203576 /22534285
E-mail: cdhg@intelnett.com
=======================================

These are the headlines- for the full report click on 'more':

- UNICEF: niñez la más afectada por la violencia en Guatemala
- Amenaza de muerte a dirigentes del SITRABI
- Ex militares irán a juicio, acusados de desaparición forzada
- Organizaciones cuestionan ejecución presupuestaria del gobierno
- Ley contra el Femicidio fue aprobada por el Congreso

Guatemalan Activist Norma Maldonado in London on 10th April

Patrick — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:04:34 +0100

I just wanted to flag up the following event where Guatemalan human rights defender, Norma Maldonado, will be speaking 10 April 2008, from 7-9pm. Norma has worked for many years promoting women's rights, respect for the environment and trade justice through the Mesa Global de Guatemala amongst many other areas of work. You can see a short presentation by Norma at an event at Harvard University in 2000 (starts 37mins in).

Join key campaigners from Africa, Asia and Latin America to hear about the growing resistance to Europe's plans and how we can link up globally to stop these unjust deals and put in place a new trade system which protects both people and the environment.

    * Charles Santiago – Trade Activist & Member of Parliament, Malaysia
    * Norma Maldonado – International Gender & Trade Network, Guatemala
    * John Ochola – Africa Programme Officer, EcoNews, Kenya

Venue: The Human Rights Action Centre, Amnesty International UK, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA

Please email to reserve a place in advance trademeeting@wdm.org.uk

This event is brought to you by: ActionAid, Friends of the Earth, War on Want, World Development Movement …campaigning as part of the Trade Justice Movement.

Tackling Racism in Guatemala

Patrick — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:07:17 +0100

There's an interesting interview with Marta Casaus (cousin of ex-President Alvaro Arzu) on the BBC Mundo website about the issue of racism in Guatemala. Marta Casaus, author of 'Guatemala: Linaje y Racismo', an academic in American history based in Madrid has researched and written about racism in Guatemala for a number of years. I was particularly struck by the fact that she seemed under no illusions about the depth of the problem in Guatemalan society:

"Sin duda alguna, yo pertenezco a una de esas redes familiares de larga duración, a la familia Arzú, y yo creo que la originalidad de esta investigación y su poder de movilización fue porque otra persona que no fuera de la oligarquía no habría podido pasar esta encuesta. Sin lugar a dudas, no se la habrían respondido. No habrían podido acceder a la clase dominante.

Yo no hice una investigación así como denuncia, yo misma me sorprendí del nivel de racismo fenotípico y genetista de mis familiares. Yo pensé que iba a ser un racismo más "light", algo así como "los discriminamos porque son diferentes", pero no pensé que iban a decir "porque son una raza inferior".

Lo que me sorprendió cuando yo pasé esta encuesta a 100 miembros de la élite de poder es que un porcentaje muy alto, un 15%, era partidario de la mejora de la raza."

We recently wrote about the remarkable story of Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj who is a K'ichee' Maya anthropologist and journalist, and recently made a stand against racial discrimination. Part of the struggle against racism in Guatemala will doubtless need to be fought in the legal public sphere, but the private ambit of personal attitude and prejudice will also need to be addressed, as both Velasquez and Casaus point out.

As the famous IAT experiment at Harvard demonstrates however, the racial preferences that many of us hold subconsciously can remain stubbornly persistent. I wonder what a Guatemalan version of the IAT race experiment would show? In terms of a solution, the IATs suggest that prevailing cultural attitudes and the mass media have a massive role to play, perhaps bigger than we'd previously imagined.

Further reading

For more about the IAT experiment and it's implications, check out 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell.

Guatemala Human Rights Commission: Report 28 March- 3 April

Patrick — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:42:44 +0100

This excellent weekly report can't be found on the web- we publish it here with kind permission from CDHG on this blog.

INFORME SEMANAL SOBRE DERECHOS HUMANOS
Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala

=======================================
Fuentes directas CDHG, Prensa Libre, Siglo Veintiuno, El Periódico, Guatemala Hoy
=======================================
CDHG
2 Av. 4-66, apto. C-4, zona 1.
Tel/Fax: (502) 22203576 /22534285
E-mail: cdhg@intelnett.com
=======================================

These are the headlines- for the full report click on 'more':

- Policías y soldados realizan allanamientos en San Juan Sacatepéquez; CUC repudió persecución contra líderes
- Desconocidos amenazan a obispo Álvaro Ramazzini
- A finales de mayo, Pedraz continuará tomando declaraciones a testigos de genocidio ocurrido en Guatemala
- Más de 500 disputas de tierra existen en el país
- Deterioro de Áreas Protegidas se agudiza, 60% está en riesgo
- Relator de ONU para DDHH confirma violaciones contra migrantes en Guatemala y México

Francisco Goldman in London

Kevin — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:18:57 +0100

Francisco Goldman has been featured here on the GSN blog. As part of the International PEN literary festival in London, ‘Free the Word’, the author will be appearing in London on Sunday, 13^th April.

A Short History of Sedition

A journey through the writings and experiences of literary dissidents.

"Francisco Goldman is an award-winning American-Guatemalan writer whose compelling investigation, ‘The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed Bishop Gerardi?', exposes the corruption that permeated the Guatemalan authorities through to the President during the late 1990s. Goldman is in conversation with Turkish poet, novelist and outspoken columnist Perihan Magden, and the young Moroccan writer Abdellah Taïa, the first openly gay voice in a culture where homosexuality isn't taboo, but refusing to live in the shadows is."

More information here.

Crisis along the Rio Dulce in Guatemala: the death of Mario Caal

Kevin — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:39:05 +0100

Photo of Mario Caal’s body as he was found: Anti-Imperialist Block

“The imposing Rio Dulce (SweetRiver), a spectacular body of water which connects LakeIzabal with the Caribbean port city of Livingston, measures approximately 35 kilometers (or 22 miles) in length. Such trajectory is without a doubt one of Guatemala’s principal tourist attractions. Nevertheless, this same area has witnessed during the past month the development of a transcendental conflict which, appropriately analyzed, reveals the somber truth beneath current Guatemalan internal affairs.”

Written by James Rodríguez, this photo-essay continues his good work, as witnessed in Upside Down World>.

There is more on this particular story here on the blog.

For more of James’s work, his website (mimundo.org) contains a wealth of wonderful material and we, at GSN, are also delighted to feature his work.

Guatemalan author Ronald Flores to launch book in London

Patrick — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:54:48 +0100

The Guatemalan author Ronald Flores will talk about torture and reconciliation during his country’s civil war when he launches his book, Final Silence, at HOUSMANS BOOKSHOP in London. Wednesday 16 April, 7pm Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX (a minute’s walk from King’s Cross Station) Tel: 020 7837 4473.

Final Silence, translated from the Spanish-language original Último silencio, is a compelling drama examining the emotional wounds that blighted a generation. It won the prestigious Mario Monteforte Toledo literary prize open to writers in Central America, and is being launched by Aflame Books to coincide with the London Book Fair.

You can find out more about Ronald Flores on his fascinating blog which regularly covers the latest developments in Guatemalan literature.

For further details, contact Gavin O’Toole: 020 8669 3891 Aflame Books.

The book has been reviewed by the Latin American Review of Books by Eugene Carey.

United by our traditions across the water

Patrick — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:47:00 +0100

Traditional dancing is massive in Guatemala and other countries in Central America such El Salvador where the above documentary clip is from (El Salvador,"La Huella Prehispánica", Documental). The more I discover about folkloric or traditional dancing, the more you see the links with our own traditions and cultures that have become more and more submerged.

For example, here's a clip of Morris dancing from my own backyard in Hackney, London, showing a fascinating resemblance to the dancing in El Salvador. Thanks to cuzcatleco76 for the wealth of video on El Salvador.

Information Society or Society of Knowledge?

Patrick — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:03:02 +0100

Interesting presentation (by Cesar Hernandez M.) making the point, if I can paraphrase it, that a society that shares information is one thing- but information is the product of technical impersonal processes. The next step is moving towards becoming a society where we learn to share our knowledge together, not just information. In sharing our knowledge we are then sharing a part of our own humanity.

Bibliografía para guión del video: Conferencia impartida por Ing. Mario Sosa Castillo -- Semana de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación CONCYT, Guatemala 2008. Video by Cesar Hernandez M.

Guatemala Human Rights Commission: Report 15-27 March

Patrick — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:26:21 +0100

This excellent weekly report can't be found on the web- we publish it here with kind permission from CDHG on this blog.

INFORME SEMANAL SOBRE DERECHOS HUMANOS
Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala

=======================================
Fuentes directas CDHG, Prensa Libre, Siglo Veintiuno, El Periódico, Guatemala Hoy
=======================================
CDHG
2 Av. 4-66, apto. C-4, zona 1.
Tel/Fax: (502) 22203576 /22534285
E-mail: cdhg@intelnett.com
=======================================

These are the headlines- for the full report click on 'more':

- CC deniega amparo a Efraín Ríos Montt
- Presidente Colom niega responsabilidades en asesinato de campesino, PDH investigará ejecución extrajudicial
- Presidente veta restitución de la Pena de Muerte, aprobada por el Congreso
- Policía y ejército desalojan violentamente a pobladores
- Vecinos de San Marcos resienten impacto de actividad minera
- Asumen nuevas y nuevos magistrados del TSE

Belize-Guatemala border conflict mentioned in UK Parliament

Patrick — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:01:15 +0000

Chris Ruane (PPS (Rt Hon Caroline Flint, Minister of State), Department for Communities and Local Government, Vale of Clwyd, Labour) | Hansard source

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the statement on the border dispute between Belize and Guatemala; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office) | Hansard source

UK policy is to reduce the likelihood of conflict on the Belize-Guatemala border and to encourage settlement of the dispute through arbitration or negotiation.

We do this through our contacts with both governments and by supporting confidence building measures, designed to reduce the potential for conflict. These aim to improve links between the two countries and by providing impartial investigation and mediation of border incursions and other incidents.

Background

This is a pretty brief answer and over the last few years UK Governments have done their best to down play any UK responsibility in this issue. More on Belize-Guatemala on this blog here.

Maite Rico Up To Old Tricks

Patrick — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:11:19 +0000

Interesting to see Maite Rico (Co-author of Quien Mato al Obispo? with Bertrand de la Grange) continuing to court controversy and continuing as before in Guatemala and Mexico the now familiar habit of taking on popular political figures on the Left. What's also interesting to note is how Latin American military institutions, more often than not, seem to come off favourably in Maite Rico's investigations.

One thinks of the Mexican military in her co-authored book about subcommandante Marcos (Marcos, La Genial Impostura), the Guatemalan military in her book about the assassination of Bishop Gerardi, and now the Colombian military with her reports on the FARC supposedly operating from inside Ecuador as sanctioned by the Ecuadorian Government.

I spotted this in a Venezuela Information Centre Update:

'El Pais' meanwhile published a piece by their Bogotá correspondent Maite Rico in which she asserted that the FARC operate freely in Ecuador and that not only was there evidence of FARC drug trafficking but of their enjoying official Ecuadorian support (similar charges have been made elsewhere in the international media about Venezuela) and that all of this was witnessed by one OAS functionary who, Rico affirmed, expressed dismay. This has now been rebutted in a letter by José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the OAS.

In this letter, Insulza says that such information - that a OAS functionary saw FARC guerrillas moving about freely and busily carrying out all sort of activities in the northern border of Ecuador with Colombia- was absolutely false, since the OAS does not have either special missions, nor functionaries of any kind, deployed in the north of Ecuador. Thus it is impossible that anybody in the OAS could have made such a statement. Insulza went on to say that they checked with OAS reps in Bogotá and Quito and nobody had spoken to Maite Rico.

Background

Respuesta de la OEA (El Pais): José Miguel Insulza (Secretario general de la OEA)

"La señora Maite Rico escribe: "Los guerrilleros se mueven por el norte de Ecuador en camionetas, como ha constatado un funcionario de la Organización de Estados Americanos, que expresaba en privado el desconcierto que le provocó cruzarse en corredores del área fronteriza con miembros de las FARC perfectamente pertrechados".

Estoy en condiciones de asegurar a usted que tal afirmación es absolutamente falsa, ya que la OEA no tiene ni misiones especiales ni funcionarios de ningún nivel desplegados en la frontera norte de Ecuador, por lo que resulta imposible que algún funcionario de esta organización haya formulado tal declaración. Hemos consultado a los representantes de la organización en Quito y Bogotá y ninguno de ellos ha hecho declaraciones ni tenido contacto con la señora Rico.

En este contexto, es cuando menos sorprendente que un diario del prestigio del que usted dirige incurra en un error de esta categoría, que atenta contra la verdad, afecta el prestigio de un Gobierno y perjudica la gestión conciliadora de nuestra organización."

Land Conflict in Guatemala: Work of Mercy Corps

Patrick — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:13:18 +0000

Part 2: Land Conflict Mediation

This film by Nathan Golon for Mercy Corps looks at their work in land conflict mediation in Alta Verapaz. We've linked to Nathan's work before on this blog. It's great to see him continuing to document work and action in Guatemala. For more of his work- photography and video - check out his website.

Debating Safe Water in Westminster Hall

Patrick — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:54:44 +0000

Mark Lancaster (MP for North East Milton Keynes, Conservative) Link to this | Hansard source

"Last week, I was in Guatemala—as an aside, I must tell the Minister that many non-governmental organisations there fear that DFID is turning its back on that country—where I was fascinated by a water project there. A local community managed to raise enough money to bring a 35 km pipeline into its village. Unfortunately, however, it was forced to bring the water through surrounding communities, many of whom were jealous that the pipeline was going through their communities but not serving them. The project took three years to be established because communities along the pipeline were simply smashing the pipe out of jealousy because they were angry that they had no access to the water it carried, while other communities did."

This reminds me of a story a friend told me who worked for many years in a development agency in Guatemala. He explained how many saw development in terms of capital investment buying things (like water pipes). While in reality, development that did not take into consideration how the community would manage the new thing (water pipes for instance) was simply bad development practice.

The tragedy was, and continues to be, that bad development practice on the part of development workers is then often held up and used against local communities as evidence that they deserve the under development that they have. The fault, more often than not, lies with the project and not the community.

CABARET FOR NICARAGUA: a night of magic, music, mirth...

Patrick — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:15:05 +0000

Here's a shout out for our compañeros over at the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign: Saturday April 12th- CABARET FOR NICARAGUA- a night of magic, music, mirth & merriment with:

JOHN HEGLEY
"scandalously talented: funny, moving, musical poetry"
ROB NEWMAN
"sharp as a razor political comedy"
IAN SAVILLE
award-winning socialist magician
ANDREW BAILEY
audio-visual musical comedy from a true original
plus MAX REINHARDT, world music DJ extraordinaire
and, it's hoped, more....

VENUE: Chat's Palace, 42-44 Brooksby's Walk, Hackney, LONDON, E9 6DF. Homerton train station. BUS: 236, 242, 276, 308, 394, S2, W15. Doors open 7.30 pm. Show ends midnight.

£11.50, £8.50 concs. Part of proceeds will go to the rebuilding of a school destroyed by Hurricane Felix. Tickets on the door or from NSC 020 7272 9619 or www.wegottickets.com

Campesino Activist Killed in Livingston, Izabal

Patrick — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:25:15 +0000

While much coverage was given in the foreign press about the hostage taking and subsequent release of four Belgian tourists in Izabal, nothing was mentioned about the death of Mario Caal Bolón. Here's a press release from the Comite de Unidad Campesina (CUC):

ASESINADO CAMPESINO EN INCURSION MILITAR EN COMUNIDADES Q’EQCHÌ’ DE LIVINGSTON, IZABAL

En la agudización de la crisis generada en Livingston, Izabal, el gobierno de la UNE le ha dado una salida militar y represiva a la problemática de las comunidades Q`eqchi´; como parte de su política de defensa de los intereses de los terratenientes nacionales y de las empresas transnacionales, asentados en dicha región.

Fear for safety: Aída del Rosario López Cordero

Patrick — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:36:26 +0000

PUBLIC: AI Index: AMR 34/008/2008

Fear for safety: Aída del Rosario López Cordero (f), human rights defender

Human rights defender Aída del Rosario López Cordero, who has been involved in attempts to bring two police officers to justice for the rape of an indigenous woman, has been threatened and intimidated since the trial of one of the police officers began on 18 February.

Aída del Rosario López Cordero is the coordinator of the Women's Defence Office (Defensoría de la Mujer) at the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office (Procuraduría de Derechos Humanos) in Quiché department. Since February 2007 she has been publicising the case of indigenous woman Juana Méndez, who was raped while in police custody in 2005. Two police officers were charged with aggravated rape and abuse of authority in 2007. One of the officers has been arrested, but the other is on the run.

Guatemala Human Rights Commission: Report 7 - 13 March

Patrick — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:50:32 +0000

This excellent weekly report can't be found on the web- we publish it here with kind permission from CDHG on this blog.

INFORME SEMANAL SOBRE DERECHOS HUMANOS
Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala

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Fuentes directas CDHG, Prensa Libre, Siglo Veintiuno, El Periódico, Guatemala Hoy
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CDHG
2 Av. 4-66, apto. C-4, zona 1.
Tel/Fax: (502) 22203576 /22534285
E-mail: cdhg@intelnett.com
=======================================

These are the headlines- for the full report click on 'more':

- Informe de EEUU: Guatemala con pocos avances en materia de derechos humanos
- Fue suspendido juicio de ex comisionado militar sindicado de desaparición forzosa
- En marcha por el Día Internacional de la Mujer, exigen marco legal para defensa de sus derechos
- Presidentes de Centroamérica objetaron petición de UE de incorporación a CPI