IRTF News

Amnesty International's new report, "The entire system against us," highlights the abuse of Guatemala's criminal justice system by officials from the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary to suppress efforts against corruption and impunity. This pattern of harassment includes gender-based violence and discrimination, severely impacting women justice operators and human rights defenders. The report details how these women face unfounded criminal charges, unfair trials, and multiple rights violations, such as prolonged pre-trial detention and public and online harassment.

Key cases include former judge Erika Aifán, former prosecutor Virginia Laparra, assistant prosecutors Paola Escobar and Aliss Morán, and lawyer Claudia González. These women were targeted for their legitimate work against corruption and faced additional punishment for challenging traditional gender roles.

Amnesty International documents systemic issues, such as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), improper pre-trial detention, and harassment. The organization calls for urgent reforms to protect justice operators and human rights defenders, emphasizing the need to address gender-based violence, ensure fair legal proceedings, and uphold the independence of the judiciary to restore justice in Guatemala.

On May 21, 2024, 85 organizations from the Americas and Europe issued a statement condemning state surveillance, harassment, and intimidation against human rights attorneys and advocates in El Salvador. Since the implementation of the State of Exception, an emergency measure suspending basic rights, there has been a marked increase in police harassment and surveillance of those representing victims of arbitrary arrest and political persecution.

Attorney Ivania Cruz from COFAPPES presented evidence of state surveillance, while attorneys from Socorro Jurídico Humanitario reported defamation campaigns and police intrusions. Members of MOVIR, representing families of those arbitrarily arrested, also faced harassment and threats. Community leaders in the rural Bajo Lempa region reported youth arrests and beatings in retaliation for criticizing the militarized repression.

The coalition, including groups like the American Association of Jurists and WOLA, called for a thorough investigation by the Attorney General and protective measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. They also urged the U.S. to halt security assistance to El Salvador due to the government's actions against human rights defenders and the erosion of democracy.

In "Flights: Radicals on the Run," Joel Whitney discusses Rigoberta Menchú's harrowing experiences as an indigenous activist in Guatemala. Menchú's life was marked by tragedy, including the loss of her family to military regimes and her own involvement in the struggle for indigenous rights. Despite enduring unimaginable suffering, Menchú's resilience led her to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and establish Guatemala's first indigenous political party. Through her activism and memoir, Menchú shed light on the atrocities committed against the Maya population, including massacres, forced labor, and cultural suppression. Whitney's article highlights Menchú's journey from victim to advocate, emphasizing her enduring impact on Guatemala's political landscape.

Nicaragua's congress recently revoked a controversial canal concession awarded to a Chinese businessman after nearly a decade. The proposed canal, aimed to link Nicaragua's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, faced significant opposition from farmers fearing land seizures and environmentalists warning of its impact. Despite a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in 2014, no actual work commenced on the project. The cancellation of the concession marks the end of a project viewed by many as unfeasible and environmentally risky. Critics of President Daniel Ortega's government saw the canal as emblematic of his increasingly repressive regime, while supporters argued it would boost the economy and create jobs.

At the end of its seventh year, the implementation of the 2016 Colombian Peace Accord is at a critical midpoint. A new report from the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) at the Keough School of Global Affairs’ Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies details the current status of the accord's implementation, highlighting progress and challenges as the peace process enters the second half of its 15-year plan.

The eighth comprehensive report, “Seven Years of Final Accord Implementation: Perspectives to Strengthen Peacebuilding at the Halfway Point,” covers December 2022 to November 2023, using quantitative and qualitative data to assess the implementation of all 578 stipulations in the agreement.

Key events during this period include the government's focus on the Total Peace policy, aimed at negotiating with illegal armed actors for sustainable peace, and the regional elections in October 2023, along with the adoption of the National Development Plan (PND) 2022–2026.

Data reveals that 10% of stipulations have not started, 39% are minimally implemented, 19% are at an intermediate stage, and 32% are completed. Most points in the agreement saw changes in implementation levels, except for the Problem of Illicit Drugs. Integral Rural Reform (Point 1) and Verification and Monitoring Mechanisms (Point 6) were particularly dynamic but remain among the least implemented.

Although implementation has continued over the past seven years, progress has been slow since 2019. This trend saw a slight improvement in 2023, with 2% of stipulations initiating implementation, up from 1% in 2022.

Effective peace agreements maintain momentum early and mid-term. However, there is concern about completing the remaining 49% of commitments within the 15-year deadline. The disparity in implementation levels is partly due to the complexity of reforms and partly to ineffective or incomplete implementation, particularly in gender, ethnic, and territorial integration.

The report concludes with recommendations for strengthening the implementation process, including transparent execution of the PND, convening the Peace Cabinet, and reviewing the Framework Plan for Implementation. The Kroc Institute has also produced a policy brief summarizing key points and released several prior reports on various aspects of the peace process.

In Colombia, violence against social activists, trade unionists, and former guerrillas persisted throughout April 2024, adding to a grim tally since the start of the year: 59 activists and ten former FARC members in the peace process have been killed, alongside 21 documented massacres. Despite government efforts to engage in dialogue with armed groups, the scale of the human rights crisis remains daunting.

Key incidents in April include:

• 1 April: Ever Albeiro Espí Hernández, president of a community council in Arauca, was murdered, marking the 40th activist killing in 2024.
• 5 April: Explosions in Cauca and the forced confinement of indigenous families in Buenaventura due to armed groups' presence.
• 7 April: Five people killed in a bar in Valle del Cauca, and a Conservative Party councillor murdered in Caldas.
• 9 April: A councillor from an indigenous political party was abducted in La Guajira.
• 13-14 April: A massacre in Cucuta, followed by the killing of lawyer Jaime Alonso Vásquez.
• 15 April: Youth worker Yoiner Gómez Burbano was murdered in Cauca.
• 17 April: Former FARC member Carlos Garzón Noscue was killed in Putumayo, and LGBTQ activist Manuel José Bermúdez's body was found in Antioquia.
• 19 April: Two Attorney General's Office employees were abducted in Cauca, and activists Carlos Arturo Londoño and Clarivet Ocampo were killed in Valle del Cauca.
• 20 April: A massacre in Antioquia, the killing of community activist Zayra Enciso Gómez, and the murder of teacher trade unionist Luis Alfredo Leones Álvarez.
• 21 April: Community activist Narciso Beleño was killed by Gulf Clan paramilitaries in South Bolivar.
• 25 April: Youth worker Yarlinton Robledo Rentería and social activist Robinson Franco were murdered.
• 27-30 April: Several killings, including political candidate John Freddy Gil Franco and social activist Antonio Montañéz Villazana in Arauca.

These events underscore the ongoing and severe human rights challenges in Colombia, with numerous activists and former combatants being targeted despite peace efforts.