Guatemala had the longest and bloodiest civil war in Central American history: 36 years (1960-96). The US-backed military was responsible for a genocide (“scorched earth policy”) that wiped out 200,000 mostly Maya indigenous civilians. War criminals are still being tried in the courts.
Learn more here.
The January attacks by the criminal organization Barrio 18 sought to destabilize the country to benefit well-connected political elites who have challenged the government of President Bernardo Arévalo. NACLA provides analysis of Guatemala's ongoing challenges and efforts to end impunity.
This nacla article sheds light on the Ch'orti' people's legal struggle against mining operations that contaminate their water and thus endanger their health and agricultural possibilities.
Please join the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) & the Office of Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on Thursday, February 26 at 12:00 pm EST for a virtual discussion. Our panel will explain the factors driving corruption and how it directly affects the daily lives of Guatemala’s Indigenous communities, as well as the United States’ role in the country’s ongoing struggle for its future.
Our panel discussion will open into a Q&A session at the end. Register below to receive the Zoom link to join and submit your questions!
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflY6I6o1HoKR6-WH3HeDsV0t5OFCclwuDsk8aGnM_JjHLZnQ/viewform
Support a historic shift in U.S. foreign policy. House Resolution 1056 calls for ending the Monroe Doctrine and building a “New Good Neighbor” relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean. Urge your US representative to co-sponsor this landmark resolution acknowledging two centuries of intervention and injustice.
UN experts revealed at least 80 Indigenous Guatemalan children were illegally disappeared, institutionalized, and adopted abroad, and raised alarms over alleged involvement of current attorney general Consuelo Porras. They are urging Guatemala to investigate state officials, bar rights-abusing candidates from top posts, and guarantee truth, justice, and reparations for victims.
UN experts revealed at least 80 Indigenous Guatemalan children were illegally disappeared, institutionalized, and adopted abroad, and raised alarms over alleged involvement of current attorney general Consuelo Porras. They are urging Guatemala to investigate state officials, bar rights-abusing candidates from top posts, and guarantee truth, justice, and reparations for victims.
The hardline approach to violence, a model used by President Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, is gaining increasing support in Central America, a region that has been historically plagued by insecurity, whether related to gangs or drug trafficking.
Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras are three countries that have adopted measures similar to those implemented by the Salvadoran leader, despite the criticism he receives from human rights organizations.
Consider your position in your community. What can you contribute to undocumented community members or migrant organizations?
Do you know any legal, mental health, social work professionals?
What about school employees?
We need EVERYONE to consider how they can mobilize support for vulnerable migrant families.
If you yourself don’t hold a professional position that is needed, consider this: Could serve as a first-call, point person for someone who is detained? Reach out to them to initiate a supportive conversation. Are you positioned to do child pick-up and safeguarding? Well-connected with community orgs or professionally situated to help with legal, medical or other needs?
See the attached flyer for more resources and ways to get involved.
Do you and your neighbors and co-workers know what to do if visited, questioned, or arrested by ICE? Do you know you can call the Ohio Immigration Hotline 419-777-HELP (4357) ? There’s also the Ohio National Lawyers Guild Hotline: (614) 654-6477
You can stay up-to-date every day on ICE activities, trends in apprehensions and detentions by following Austin Kocher on Substack https://substack.com/@austinkocher/posts
In northeast Ohio, you can reach out to irtf@irtfcleveland.org for educational resources and trainings for your workplace, congregation, or community group.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ vote and new national campaign to support migrants are the group’s first responses to the Trump administration’s crackdown.
In a rare group statement, America’s Catholic bishops voted nearly unanimously Wednesday to condemn the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants as an attack on “God-given human dignity,” and advocated for “meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws.”
“We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement,” read the message from the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops. After the vote (216-5, with three abstentions), the bishops stood and applauded. The last such “Special Message” was delivered 12 years ago.
The new message listed the types of suffering the church leaders say many undocumented migrants experience, including “arbitrarily” losing their legal status, being subject to poor detention conditions, and being afraid to take children to school or go to church. “We feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,” the bishops wrote.
