Justice for Victor Leiva

Dear friends,

On February 20, 2011, our friend Victor Leiva, artist and founding member of the collective Caja Ludica, was taken from us. Victor was shot to death while leaving his work in the Historical Center of Guatemala City, in circumstances which have not been clarified.

We are requesting signatures for a letter addressed to the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor’s Office urging that an exhaustive investigation be carried out to identify and hold accountable those responsible for Victor’s death.

If you would like to sign in support of the letter (see below) as an individual or in the name of your organization, please send an email to quevivavictor@yahoo.com before July 31, with your complete name and/or that of your organization, or sign online.  You can find our Facebook page under the name “Que viva Victor”.

We also ask that you forward the letter and request for signatures to your networks.

Many thanks for your support.

In solidarity,

Friends of Victor from the organizations NISGUA, Collectif Guatemala, AdA, and SweFOR

~ ~ ~

Guatemala, August 4th, 2011

Doctor Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey
Attorney General of the Republic of Guatemala
15th Avenue 15-16, 8th level
Zone 1, Gerona Neighborhood
Guatemala City
Guatemala

Dear Attorney General,

Today, Víctor Leiva would have turned 25 years old. Víctor – known as “el mono” (“the monkey”) – was an artist, promoter of culture, and founding member of the collective Caja Lúdica. Victor was a stiltwalker, a dancer, and he participated in theater and performance art. He was also a teacher in the dance organization Trasciende (“Transcend”). A friend described him as follows:

“He was a great person, he was always very affectionate, very happy, outraged by the reality of life in Guatemala, he had a great passion for creating artistic processes, we remember him as a companion – happy, full of life, and irreverent.”

However, 6 months and one day ago, on February 3rd, 2011, he was shot to death as he left his work in the Historic Center of Guatemala City, in circumstances that still have not been clarified.

This terrible act of violence generated a wave of indignation and rejection in Guatemalan civil society, and was denounced by various artistic organizations, as well as national and international human rights organizations.

We, the undersigned, ask that you carry out an exhaustive and efficient investigation as soon as possible; in order to identify, bring to trial, and sentence those responsible for the violent death of our companion and friend, Víctor Leiva.

Sincerely,

[Signatures of individuals and organizations]