Being Better Neighbors towards Latin America

In a surprise move, the Guatemalan government has announced the effective closing of the “Peace Archives,” one of the most active and important institutions created in the wake of the 1996 peace accords to promote peace, truth and reconciliation. According to Guatemalan press accounts, the Secretary of Peace Antonio Arenales Forno stated that by June 29 the government would “cancel [labor] contracts for which I see no justification and end the functions of an office that I find makes no sense.”

Click here to download a PDF version of the declaration in English

Click here to download a PDF version of the declaration in Spanish

                                                                                                                           
The Public Hearing on the Human Rights Situation in the Peasant Communities of Bajo Aguán, Honduras, was convened by nine organizations and international networks that in recent years have been monitoring the human rights situation in Honduras and in particular that of the peasant communities in the Bajo Aguán region.  This monitoring effort has been carried out in coordination with local organizations.

I can tell you what should be on the table for discussion at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia:  The safety of the region’s human rights defenders.

Alexander Quintero campaigned for justice for the victims of Colombia's 2001 Naya River massacre, committed by paramilitary forces.  “He brought us all together, indigenous, Afro-Colombian and mestizo communities,” said a colleague.  “It could have been any of us,” a sobbing defender said, as she told me about his May 2010 murder.

March 14th, 2012

Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and 93 other members of the Congress sent a letter on March 12th, 2012 to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing grave concern about human rights violations in Honduras, particularly the murder of 45 people associated with small farmer associations in Bajo Aguán.

"This is a wake up call for the Lobo Administration,” said Lisa Haugaard, Executive Director of the Latin America Working Group.   “Forty-five campesino leaders in a small area of Honduras have been murdered.  Human rights defenders of all stripes -- campesino leaders, lawyers, LGBT community members, women defenders, journalists, opposition activists -- are being threatened and killed. And not only is the Honduran government failing to do enough to protect them and prosecute those who endanger them, but in too many cases, police or military agents are involved directly or are collaborating with those who commit abuses.  We need to see greater effort to protect the rule of law in Honduras."

To read the congressional letter, click here (unofficial Spanish translation, here ).

I know you have a lot going on. Whether it’s that big project at work or a 20-page paper for school, making dinner or getting the car fixed (or in my case, the bike!), free time is hard to come by.

But sometimes, we just need to take a break from everyday life, and do something that inspires us, rejuvenates us, and teaches us something we didn’t know before. For activists—especially those of us who are in it for the long haul—we need to renew our energy so we can continue our important work for justice and human rights.

That’s why we’re so excited to invite you to join us in Washington, DC on March 23-26th for Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2012, where you will hear women and men from across Latin America and the United States talk about the most pressing issue of our time: Economic Justice and Our National Priorities.

We need your help to support hundreds of indigenous families in Guatemala who are facing violence, homelessness, and starvation as a result of a brutal displacement. 



Please sign our petition today to get them the food aid and protection they need!