Nisgua Petition

The following is an email I just received from NISGUA, the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala. I urge you to read the letter and then participate in their online petition.

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Dear Friends,

On June 24, 2006, an Investigative Commission from Spain will arrive in Guatemala to take testimonies on acts of terrorism, torture and genocide that occurred in Guatemala from 1978-1984. The Commission will be gathering evidence of genocide against the Maya people, as well as attacks against Spanish priests and the 1980 Spanish Embassy massacre. This is the result of a case that was first brought to the Spanish legal system by Rigoberta Menchu in 1999.

We greatly welcome the Spanish Constitutional Court’s decision to try these crimes, especially given the lack of political will to try these cases in the Guatemalan legal system. However, we are aware that human rights defenders and others trying to find legal justice for past and ongoing crimes are regularly threatened and attacked in Guatemala, and the government fails to protect them or hold the perpetrators responsible.

NISGUA is working with an international coalition to pressure the Guatemalan government to cooperate with the upcoming visit of the Spanish Investigative Commission, and to ensure the safety of those people who will be giving testimony or otherwise working with the Commission’s visit. We hope you will join us by signing the attached letter to the Guatemalan government. Individuals and organizations are welcome to sign on, you can either sign online at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/nisgua/

or email your name, city and organization (if applicable) to nisgua@igc.org

Please sign on by Friday, June 23!

Peace and Justice,

Andrew de Sousa
National Organizer, NISGUA
1830 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20009
PH: (202) 518 7638
Fax: (202) 223 8221
nisgua@igc.org
www.nisgua.org

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Open Letter

The undersigned organizations and individuals, in solidarity with the survivors of State terrorism involved in the struggle against impunity in Guatemala, express the following:

With the arrival of the Spanish Investigative Commission comes the responsibility on the part of the State of Guatemala to ensure the safety of all those involved.

The international community will accompany and monitor this process.

To the President of the Republic of Guatemala,
To the President of the Supreme Justice Court,
To the President of Congress,
To the Attorney General,
To our accredited diplomatic representatives in Guatemala,

With great satisfaction, we received the October 5th, 2005 decision of the Spanish Constitutional Court confirming the legitimacy of the Spanish Justice System to investigate and prosecute for genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Guatemala, regardless of victims’ nationality. This decision represents a transcendental advance toward establishing “Universal Jurisdiction” and, as such, is an important step in the struggle against impunity in Guatemala.

The atrocities that took place in Guatemala during the internal armed conflict are well-documented in the report of the UN Commission for Historical Clarification. They include at least 626 massacres committed by State forces as well as acts of genocide. We are saddened that the Guatemalan Justice System has been incapable of convicting those responsible for these crimes despite the many cases filed and evidence presented by the survivors and other human rights activists. Furthermore, we are concerned that continual attacks suffered by human rights activists will remain uninvestigated. To date, not one suspect has been charged.

Ultimately, we ask the State of Guatemala to demonstrate its commitment to human rights, the fight against impunity, and the enforcement of the Rule of Law, by actively supporting the investigation carried out by the Spanish Commission starting on June 24th as it gathers testimonies related to crimes of genocide, torture and terrorism that occurred in Guatemala.

In particular, we ask that the State comply with requests for the protection of the physical and psychological security of the human rights defenders involved including those who will present testimony. It is therefore essential that attacks against activists be investigated and that those found responsible be convicted. The work being done in the political arena toward justice and against impunity must be respected.

We ask our accredited diplomatic representatives in Guatemala to fulfill their mandate to oversee that human rights are respected and that they demand that the Guatemalan State follow through with its responsibility to protect human rights defenders and to investigate any attacks against them.

We would like to reiterate our commitment to accompany the struggle against impunity, and we will continue to oversee the security of those human rights defenders involved in legal processes for human rights violations committed in Guatemala and, in particular, those who are providing evidence to the Spanish Investigative Commission.

We thank you for your attention and hope that, in fulfilling your duties, you assume the responsibility to ensure that the respective entities take the necessary measures to guarantee that this judicial process be carried out free of violence against human rights defenders in Guatemala.

Sign now at: http://www.petitiononline.com/nisgua/ or email your name, city and organization (if applicable) to nisgua@igc.org

Tags: Guatemala, NISGUA, Petition, Spain, Human Rights

Colbert's Commencement

Stephen Colbert does it again... this time in a commencement address at Knox College this past weekend. You have to love his “tongue-in-right-wing-cheek” take on the immigration issue!

And when you enter the workforce, you will find competition from those crossing our all-too-porous borders.

Now I know you’re all going to say, “Stephen, Stephen, immigrants built America.” Yes, but here’s the thing—it’s built now. I think it was finished in the mid-70s sometime. At this point it’s a touch-up and repair job.

But thankfully Congress is acting and soon English will be the official language of America. Because if we surrender the national anthem to Spanish, the next thing you know, they’ll be translating the Bible. God wrote it in English for a reason! So it could be taught in our public schools.

So we must build walls. A wall obviously across the entire southern border. That’s the answer. That may not be enough—maybe a moat in front of it, or a fire-pit. Maybe a flaming moat, filled with fire-proof crocodiles.

And we should probably wall off the northern border as well. Keep those Canadians with their socialized medicine and their skunky beer out.

And because immigrants can swim, we’ll probably want to wall off the coasts as well.

And while we’re at it, we need to put up a dome, in case they have catapults. And we’ll punch some holes in it so we can breathe. Breathe free.

It’s time for illegal immigrants to go—right after they finish building those walls.

Read the entire speech!

Tags: Stephen, Colbert, Commencement, Address, Speech, Immigration, Border

Noticias de Guatemala: Dos golpes a la impunidad

Cayó ex ministro Donaldo Álvarez Ruiz.
El ex ministro de Gobernación de Guatemala, Donaldo Álvarez Ruiz, reclamado por la justicia española bajo la acusación de genocidio, fue capturado ayer, miércoles, en Estados Unidos. Las fuentes consultadas por agencias internacionales de noticias no brindaron más precisiones de la captura.

El juez español Santiago Pedraz, a cargo de los interrogatorios para los supuestos responsables de actos de tortura y genocidio ya tramita la extradición de Álvarez, según las mismas fuentes.

La orden de detención internacional con fines de extradición de Alvarez fue solicitada el 10 de diciembre de 2003 por el juez español Fernando Grande Marlaska a México, pues por entonces, el ex ministro vivía en ese país, de donde al parecer se trasladó a Panamá y luego Estados Unidos.

La demanda contra Alvarez forma parte de la querella impulsada ante la justicia española por Rigoberta Menchú bajo cargos de genocidio, terrorismo, tortura, asesinato y detención ilegal en la que también figuran los ex generales golpistas Efraín Ríos Montt (1982-1983) y Óscar Humberto Mejía (1983-1986) y cinco funcionarios que ocupaban cargos de seguridad. [Prensa Libre.com]

Declarará sobre genocidio.
El primer acercamiento con la hora de la verdad sobre las acusaciones de genocidio, parece tener a Efraín Ríos Montt resignado a declarar ante los jueces nacionales y de España, el 28 de junio.

Ya le fue denegado un amparo para no declarar ante el juez nacional Saúl Álvarez, a quien acompañará el español Santiago Pedraz. La visita de la comisión rogatoria de la Audiencia Nacional de España, es para medir el nivel de responsabilidad de los 8 guatemaltecos acusados de genocidio.

La aceptación de la Audiencia Nacional de juzgar el genocidio en Guatemala es porque se ha comprobado la incapacidad de la justicia local de llevar a cabo su propio proceso.

Según la Fundación Rigoberta Menchú, “la importancia de esta visita es que no sólo se va a interrogar a los imputados por la quema de la Embajada de España y la muerte de 4 religiosos españoles, sino que podrá preguntársele sobre la estrategia de aniquilación que dio lugar al genocidio”.

Después de la indagatoria la comitiva española podría decidir si pide alguna otra acción en contra de los acusados, pero tendría que ser tramitada a través de la Cancillería guatemalteca. [Martín Rodíguez/Lorena Seijo. PL: 10]

Resumen de noticias cortesía de Incidencia Democrática

Tags: Guatemala, Noticias, Impunidad, Montt, Álvarez Ruiz