Sepur Zarco: First case of sexual slavery will be heard in Guatemalan courts

On June 22, 2015, Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez ruled to accept witness testimonies and other evidence in the Sepur Zarco sexual slavery case. This is the first case of its kind to be heard in Guatemala courts and will be presided over by Judge Yassmín Barrios. The case first began in September 2011, when the Breaking the Silence and Impunity Alliance[1] filed a legal complaint against former military personnel on charges of sexual violence committed against the Q'eqchi' women at the Sepur Zarco military base during the internal armed conflict. Although no firm trial date is set, it is expected to begin early next year.

In 1982, the military arrived in Sepur Zarco in eastern Guatemala and accused the Q'eqchí community of forming part of the guerilla. The nearby military base, used as a rest and recreation center for soldiers, was operating within a larger context of illegal land grabs. The center had the support of powerful national and international economic interests who were using large areas of land in the area to produce sugar cane for biofuels and carry out other resource extraction activities.

During the preliminary phase of the trial, 15 women testified to having been enslaved and repeatedly raped by soldiers - sometimes in front of their children - between 1982 and 1988. During these years, they were also forced to cook for the soldiers and wash their clothes. Many of the women were held hostage at the base for at least 6 months in 1982 after their husbands had been disappeared.

Former Colonel Esteelmer Francisco Reyes Girón and former Military Commissioner Heriberto Valdéz Asig were arrested and indicted in 2014, Reyes Girón is being charged with crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, sexual slavery, domestic slavery, cruel and inhumane treatment, and murder. Valdéz Asig is also being accused of crimes against humanity, including sexual violence and forced disappearance.

For more information on the Sepur Zarco case, read an article written by a Luz Mendez, a leader with UNAMG, and an interview with Gabriela Rivera, a lawyer with Mujeres Transformando el Mundo. 

A survivor testifies in 2012 with the support
of an interpreter. Photo credit: CPR Urbana

This case of sexual slavery has opened the door for other cases of sexual violence committed during the armed conflict to be heard - including during the 2013 genocide trial - and has set the stage for the inclusion of the systematic use of sexual violence by the military as considered a war crime. According to the Historical Clarification Commission, 88.7% of the sexual violence committed during the armed conflict was against indigenous women.

Judge Barrios presided over the historic 2013 genocide case that convicted former general Efraín Ríos Montt of genocide and crimes against humanity. Ever since the Constitutional Court overturned the verdict ten days later in a controversial ruling, Judge Barrios has had to fight her own legal battles against economic and military interests that continue to hold power in Guatemala. Shortly after emitting the sentence, Guatemala's Bar Association imposed sanctions on her and attempted to have her suspended from the bench . Later, the Constitutional Court unanimously rejected the sanctions, citing the Bar's actions to impose sanctions on Barrios as an "improper intrusion on judicial independence."

The Public Prosecutor and plaintiffs for this case have already denounced the stalling tactics being employed by the defense in this case as an attempt to evade justice. In the coming months, it will continue to be important to hold the international spotlight on this precedent-setting case. Through ACOGUATE, NISGUA has accompanied the Sepur Zarco case since 2012.

[1] The Breaking the Silence and Impunity Alliance is made up of three organizations: Women Transforming the World (Mujeres Transformando el Mundo - MTM), the Community Studies and Psychosocial Action Team (Equipo de Estudios Comunitarios y Acción Psicosocial - ECAP) and the National Union of Guatemalan Women (la Unión Nacional de las Mujeres Guatemaltecas - UNAMG).

Retired military officials arraigned for atrocities at Sepur Zarco military base

Ex-colonel Esteelmer Reyes Girón and ex-military commissioner Heriberto Valdéz Asij were arraigned and ordered to pre-trial detention on June 23 by Tribunal "B" of the High Risk Crimes Court. The two will remain in prison while they await trial on charges of assassination, forced disappearance, and crimes against humanity.

Estelmer Reyes Girón and Heriberto Valdéz Asij in court on June 23.
Photo: CPR-Urbana

The accusations stem from acts ostensibly committed between 1982 and 1983, when Reyes served as colonel of the military base Sepur Zarco, located in eastern Guatemalan department of Izabal, with Valdez as his subordinate. Reyes is accused of the assassination of Dominga Coc and her two daughters, whose remains were exhumed and identified by specialists with the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation. Valdez is accused of forcibly disappearing a group of campesinos in 1982, who were at the time involved in a prolonged struggle to obtain legal titles for their lands.

The two are additionally accused of holding at least 15 Q'eqchí women as sexual slaves in the military base between 1982 and 1988. The women were enslaved after their husbands were forcibly disappeared, and held hostage in the military base for at least 6 months.

In September 2012, these 15 women presented their testimony to the court in anticipation of the upcoming trial. The women, concerned for their personal security, wore scarves over their heads to protect their identities as they recounted their stories.

In September 2012 15 women presented their testimony to a Guatemalan court.
Photo: Sandra Sebastián

According to the Commission for Historical Clarification, sexual violence was a "widespread and systematic practice by state agents as part of the counterinsurgency strategy" during Guatemala's 36-year long internal armed conflict. The women of the Sepur Zarco case set global precedent when the trial opened, as the first time the crime of sexual slavery as a crime against humanity was tried in a national court.

Judge Miguel Ángel Alvez reads his order sentencing Valdéz and Reyes to await trail in prison. (En español)

After the court presented its order, the ex-military officials were immediately brought to the Mariscal Zavala Prison. The two men will remain imprisoned until the commencement of their trial, which is tentatively scheduled for the beginning of October.

NISGUA, through the Guatemalan Accompaniment and ACOGUATE, has accompanied the Sepur Zarco case since 2012.

Genocide survivors respond to congressional resolution to deny genocide

"We are thousands of Guatemalan victims of grave human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict. The only thing we ask for is justice."  - Communique from survivors in response to congressional resolution to deny genocide

Genocide survivors gather in front of the Congress of the Republic.

On late Tuesday, May 13, the Guatemalan Congress passed a shocking resolution categorically denying that genocide occurred in Guatemala. The resolution states that the “so-called ‘trial of the century’” threatens “National Reconciliation”. 87 congressional members, of the 111 present, voted in favor of the resolution across party lines.

Today, genocide survivors gathered outside Congress to denounce this resolution. Below are excerpts from their statement.

Banners outside Congress call for truth and justice for genocide.

Communique from the Victims of the Guatemalan Genocide to the 

Congress of the Republic

The victims of the grave violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law, who suffered genocide, forced disappearance, torture, extra-judicial executions, sexual violence, massacres and assassinations committed by the forces of the State of Guatemala during the recent internal armed conflict, express our rejection of the congressional resolution approved by 87 representatives of the Congress of the Republic on May 13, 2014.

We remind the representatives that the state is required to respect the rights of victims to truth and justice precisely because Guatemala is a signatory to international human rights treaties and conventions. It is indispensable that grave crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity are judged and that justice is done.

We demand that the Congress of the Republic respect the National Reconciliation Law... We condemn any attempt to grant amnesty for these crimes.

We remind the representatives that the State of Guatemala has been condemned internationally for failing to investigate, judge and sanction the people who have committed acts of torture, extra-judicial executions, forced disappearances, sexual violence and other grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.

Nobody and nothing should influence the Judiciary, not even these Congressional representatives who, coincidentally, will be electing the judges of the Supreme Court and the Appeals Court.

…We remind the representatives that their legislative duty should benefit the majority of the population and not a small group that feels directly affected; a court of law decided that - Yes, it was Genocide!

We express our concern and rejection of this resolution, which is a clear intervention in the justice system that puts at risk one of the fundamental pillars of the rule of law: swift and full access to justice...

This resolution simply demonstrates that personal and ideological opinions about the armed conflict take precedent over the common good. We are thousands of Guatemalan victims of grave human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict. The only thing we ask for is justice. 

We want to make clear to the 87 representatives that voted in favor of this resolution that the victims, keeping in mind our rights and obligations as citizens, acting with fraternal conduct and in the clear exercise of our human rights, request justice for what happened during the conflict. We have sought out this democratic and legitimate path. We presented charges against the material or intellectual authors of the atrocities that we suffered. This is our constitutional right that nobody and nothing can take away from us.

We invite the international community to observe the fulfillment of the international obligations of the state in human rights and humanitarian rights so that the barbaric acts committed against the civilian, non-combatant population are investigated, judged and sanctioned. We call on you to be attentive to any attempt to distort the law in favor of impunity.

Congressional representatives: we the victims, want peace – the same peace that you mention in your resolution – that is born of respect for human rights and the right to justice and dignified reparation, which is a primary guarantee that these acts will never be repeated.

In the name of those of us who want peace, that look for pathways to democracy and not hate, racism, impunity and forgetting, we demand that this resolution be retracted. As it says in the genocide sentence, “... to recognize the truth helps to heal the wounds of the past... the application of justice is a right that aids the victims and that also contributes to the strengthening of the rule of law in our country...”

NISGUA has provided human rights accompaniment to the witness' organization, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, and their lawyers, the Center for Human Rights Legal Action since 2000.

Worldwide Day of Action: Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Genocide Sentence

On May 10, supporters, scholars and students from over a dozen countries celebrated the one-year anniversary of the genocide sentence. The worldwide day of action brought together communities to support the survivors' decades-long struggle for truth and justice in Guatemala. People across the world read the sentence aloud, participated commemorative events and shared personal reflections. In Guatemala City, the one-year anniversary was celebrated in the Central Park with videos from the genocide trial, readings from the sentence and live music. The day prior, a conference titled "Dignifying the People's Truth" invited Ixil witnesses and experts involved in the trial to reflect on their experience and the importance of the process. NISGUA participated in the worldwide action by inspiring our grassroots network to organize events across the United States.

Below is a selection of videos of community actions held for the genocide sentence across the world. 

From NISGUA's network in Oakland, CA, Sue, Adolfo and Renee share readings of the historic genocide sentence and their personal reflections about its significance:

From the Ixil region in Guatemala, members of the Ixil Ancestral Indigenous Authority and other community members talk about the importance of the sentence to them and to their people:

From Buenos Aires, Argentina, scholars, students, professors and activists read excerpts from the genocide sentence:

Members of Collectif Guatemala, read the historic document in Paris:

Spanish partners, La Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas, Oaxaca y Guatemala de Madrid,  organize multiple May 10 events in Madrid, Spain:

From Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, Germany and Puerto Rico, solidarity activists read portions of the genocide sentence:

From Australia, university students read from the sentence:

In Mexico City, Mexico, the National Autonomous University of Mexico hosted a conference on the impacts of the genocide sentence, one year later:

From the Radical Americas Network and a number of English universities, students and professors comment on the importance of the genocide sentence and read excerpts:

One year from the genocide sentence, the Guatemala Asociación Comunicarte released this moving footage of the original reading of the verdict.

Thanks to Skylight Pictures, we can also relive the genocide sentence word-for-word as read by Judge Yassmín Barrios on May 10, 2013:

Check out more videos and other media related to May 10 posted on the Guatemala 10 de Mayo, Sentencia por Genocidio Facebook page and on the Para que se Conozca Blog.  

Human Rights Convergence statement on the Attorney General nomination

The pact to maintain impunity consolidates with the nomination for Attorney General

The Human Rights Convergence states:

The director of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is a key and decisive position to guarantee that justice is done and that it is swift. With Doctor Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey at the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, meaningful steps were taken in recuperating the Office’s ability to undertake criminal persecution. The Nomination Committee for candidates for the Attorney General position missed an opportunity to advance [these steps]. Instead of offering the Guatemalan society a quality nomination, it presented a list that does not guarantee that this is achieved.

The list of candidates put forth by the Nomination Committee seeks to consolidate a pact to maintain impunity. It is a pact pulled together in the shadow of impunity, by structures responsible for grave human rights violations, sectors of the traditional economic power of the oligarchy and sectors of organized crime.

In the hands of deans, the majority of whom prevail from private universities, the President of the Guatemalan Bar Association and its Ethics Tribunal, the decision was made to form a list of applicants that does not comply with the minimum standards required for candidacy.

During nearly two months, the Nomination Committee joined in the perverse game, mounting a spectacle in which criteria was defined for rating the candidates’ qualifications, including requirements for work plans, education levels and interviews; criteria that was not respected in the end. [The Committee]  flagrantly violated the right to petition exercised by more than six thousand citizens, whose demand [that Paz y Paz be included in the final list of candidates] was illegally dismissed.

Therefore, the list of candidates that was approved and delivered to the President of the Republic includes people who have been sanctioned by the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, people lacking experience in criminal proceedings, people linked to the executive office, as well as people linked to private companies, among other shortfalls required for the position.

By presenting this list of candidates, which left out the only Attorney General who has demonstrated leadership in the pursuit of justice, the Nominating Committee has inflicted grave damage on Guatemalan society.

Thus, we reiterate our commitment to the pursuit of justice and we call on all Guatemalan citizens and the international community to uphold the rule of law and respect for human rights in Guatemala.

Guatemala, April 30, 2014

Worldwide action for the one-year anniversary of the genocide sentence

“We must raise awareness [so] that these kinds of events are never repeated, because the people of Guatemala want to live in peace, acknowledging our identity, our rich multicultural, multilingual [heritage] and the respect for the freedom of expression of our ideas.” 

-Genocide sentence (page 89 in English translation)

Photo: CMI Guatemala

This coming May 10, people around the world will celebrate the first anniversary of the Guatemalan genocide sentence against Efraín Ríos Montt.

On this day, we will remember when the High Risk Crimes Court “A”, presided over by Judge Yassmín Barrios, condemned former General José Efraín Ríos Montt to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity.

In commemoration of the first anniversary of this historic sentence for the genocide perpetrated against the Maya Ixil people in Guatemala, activities to read parts of the sentence are being organized in distinct locations across the world.

This idea was originally proposed by Dr. Marta Elena Casaús Arzú for men, women, academics, artists, students, families, religious groups and social organizations in Guatemala and elsewhere to join together in solidarity with the survivors who bravely shared their stories during the genocide trial.

The easiest way to join in is through Facebook and your own social media networks!

How?

• On your own or as a collective, select a phrase or paragraph* of the genocide sentence that has impressed you, that you consider to be important, that you want to emphasize so that it will be remembered.
• You can share the phrase on your Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #GenocideSentenceGT, #sentenciaporgenocidio, #YesItWasGenocide, #Sihubogenocidio.
• Record yourself reading the sentence, either audio or video, and share it via Instagram, Vine, Flipagram, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.
• Share your action with photos or drawings. Write a song or poem!
• Tag your post with these Facebook pages: Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala and Sentencia por Genocidio, or on Twitter @NISGUA_Guate. 
• If you do not have a Twitter or Facebook account, send your photos or videos directly to NISGUA, communications@nisgua.org.

We hope that this worldwide show of solidarity will bring visibility to the decades-long struggle for truth and justice in Guatemala and the achievements for justice in the historic genocide trial.

Join the movement!

Confirmed locations participating:

Guatemala City

Toulouse

Paris

Madrid

Barcelona

London

Mexico City

Buenos Aires

USA - North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, Ohio, Berkeley and Austin

Australia

Chile

Paraguay

Send us your city and state and we will add you to the list!

*You can find the portion of the genocide sentence that was read on May 10 here in Spanish or here in English (starting on page 74).

Guatemala’s Constitutional Court set to hear arguments regarding fate of genocide trial

This morning, the Constitutional Court (CC), Guatemala’s highest court, will hear arguments regarding the April 2013 decision by Judge Carol Patricia Flores to set the genocide case back to a pre-trial phase. The mid-trial ruling cited technical errors in the judicial process and stated that the case should return to November 2011, before Ríos Montt had ever been indicted.

Plaintiffs on the case, the Center for Human Rights Legal Action and the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR), immediately appealed Flores' ruling. One member of the AJR reacted to the controversial decision stating, "[Judge Flores] only wants to help impunity continue to reign in Guatemala and that is why we, the victims, have to break this noose of impunity, this beast that has for so long ruled Guatemala."

If the CC upholds Judge Flores’ ruling, witness and expert testimony that formed the basis for the historic genocide sentence will effectively be erased and Ríos Montt will be free. After hearing arguments by the prosecution and the defense, the CC will have 5 days to come to their final resolution; however, the Court notoriously emits their decision late, leaving the involved parties and the public waiting in suspense.

The 13-year struggle of the survivors did not end with the Constitutional Court’s controversial decision to annul the genocide trial last May. Six months later, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation denounced the Guatemalan State for the denial of justice to the Maya Ixil people by filing a formal complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The complaint cited a number of deficiencies in the genocide trial process, including excessive delays and the denial of the right to justice of the witnesses who gave their testimony in court.

Meanwhile, Guatemala’s justice system continues to feel the impacts of the national and international struggle for historical memory, prompted by the groundbreaking genocide trial. The ongoing legal debate regarding the possibility of amnesty for Ríos Montt, despite national and international laws that prohibit amnesty for war crimes, is just one example. The decision on amnesty, which threatens to permanently undermine survivors’ decades-long work for justice, is yet to be resolved, as nearly one hundred judges have recused themselves from hearing the issue. Furthermore, the February decision to end current Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz's term early has once again called into question the impartiality of the Constitutional Court and has instilled a sense of uncertainty as to the future of human rights cases in national courts.

The AJR commemorates the one year anniversary of the start of genocide trial.
Photo: Cristina Chiqun, March 19, 2014

Despite considerable setbacks since the start of the genocide trial and well beyond the annulment of the verdict, survivors remain positive and committed to ending the reign of impunity in Guatemala. The monumental weight of the genocide sentence continues to validate their struggle in search of truth and justice. 

“When the trial started, I was pleased because I knew that the truth had reached the people of Guatemala, and not just Guatemala but the world. This made me satisfied because what we suffered was acknowledged… They were able to annul the sentence politically but historically no one will take it away from us, the sentence remains in our hearts. One year after the historic trial, we remain strong in order to keep fighting and demanding justice in Guatemala.” - Benjamín Manuel Gerónimo, Vice-President of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation

NISGUA has provided human rights accompaniment to the witness organization, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, and their lawyers, the Center for Human Rights Legal Action since 2000. Review our archival coverage of the historic genocide trial here. 

Genocide retrial set for January 2015; national courts debate possibility of amnesty

On November 5, almost six months since the highly contested decision by Guatemala's Constitutional Court (CC) to annul the genocide sentence, Guatemalan courts announced a date for the retrial of former General Ríos Montt. Guatemala's High Risks Court “B” affirmed that it has the jurisdiction to hear the case but said its calendar is full until January 5, 2015.

The announcement of the retrial date came the same day that the Association for Justice and Reconciliation and their legal team filed a complaint in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the Guatemalan state for continued impunity for grave human rights violations committed against the Ixil people. The complaint focuses on the May 10 annulment of the genocide conviction, arguing that survivors have been denied access to the right to justice in national courts.

Constitutional Court decision opens door for Ríos Montt to receive amnesty

On October 22, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of an appeal presented by Ríos Montt's defense, opening the door to amnesty for war crimes. The appeal, one of many filed by the defense lawyers on the issue of amnesty, argued that due process was not respected in a decision on wartime Decree 8-86. Decree 8-86, dating back to the de facto government of Oscar Humberto Mejía Víctores (1983-1986), mandated a blanket amnesty for all crimes committed between March 23, 1982 and January 14, 1986.  Both former military generals Mejía Víctores and Ríos Montt are currently accused of genocide and would benefit from the application of amnesty. 

Ríos Montt's lawyers argued that Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez Aguilar, who ruled against the possibility of amnesty, based his decision exclusively on Guatemala's 1996 National Reconciliation Law, and did not incorporate analysis of Decree 8-86. The National Reconciliation Law, created in 1996 with the signing of the Peace Accords, explicitly excludes genocide from the application of amnesty.  

Judge Gálvez Aguilar’s decision was immediately contested by the defense; however, an Appeals Court upheld the ruling, denying amnesty for war crimes. Now, the Constitutional Court has ordered the Appeals Court to elaborate in its explanation and provide foundation for its previous decision. While the Constitutional Court ruling alone does not grant amnesty, the decision sends an unequivocal message to lower courts encouraging them to reconsider previous rulings.

The 1996 Reconciliation law, in conjunction with the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights¹. and the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide², both ratified by the state of Guatemala, clearly invalidate the 1986 "auto-amnesty" decree, rendering the decision of the Constitutional Court, "a flagrant violation of international human rights law and the obligation to guarantee the right to truth, justice and reparations for the victims^3.."

At the time of publication, it is unclear when a decision on amnesty will be made as the lower court ordered to review the previous ruling on amnesty has been plagued by delays and recusals by Appeals Court judges. Anselmo Roldán, President of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, denounced these malicious delay tactics during his recent NISGUA speaker tour and called for and end to the partiality of the national justice system.

1    http://www.cidh.oas.org/basicos/english/Basic4.Amer.Conv.Ratif.htm
2    http://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspxsrc=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-1&chapter=4&  lang=en
3    FIDH, Anulación de la condena al General Ríos Montt: la FIDH solicita a la Corte de Constitucionalided de Guatemala reformar su decisión. Aug. 9 2013. www.fidh.org/anulacion-de-la-condena-al-general-Ríos-montt-la-fidh-solicita-a-la-corte-13809

NISGUA has provided human rights accompaniment to the witness organization, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, and their lawyers, the Center for Human Rights Legal Action, since 2000.

Original article published on November 25th, 2013 by ACOGUATE

NISGUA receives 2013 Global Justice and Peace Award

On Saturday, November 16, the Denver Justice and Peace Committee (DJPC) presented NISGUA with their annual Global Justice and Peace Award. DJPC, a longtime supporter of NISGUA’s Guatemala Accompaniment Project, recognized NISGUA's organizational achievements and commitment to justice.

We were honored to have AJR President Anselmo Roldán join us at the awards ceremony. His presence represented the strong and important relationships that lead and shape NISGUA’s work on the ground in Guatemala.

Thank you DPJC for this generous award and the opportunity to connect with such an incredible and warm community of activists, former accompaniers and supporters!

Please enjoy the selection of photos below from the awards night in Denver, thanks to former NISGUA staffer Graham Hunt.

AJR president Anselmo Roldán and NISGUA Programs Coordinator
Ellen Moore observe the ceremony.

DJPC presents former NISGUA accompanier with the Member of the Year Award.

NISGUA Operations Coordinator Megan Whelan
receives the Global Justice and Peace Award on behalf of NISGUA.

Former NISGUA accompanier Brad Lawton addresses the crowd.

AJR president Anselmo Roldán speaks to DJPC.

"Justice for genocide: A survivor's story" visits Laramie, Denver and the Bay Area

The "Justice for genocide: A survivor's story" fall speaking tour left Wisconsin on November 13 to embark on the final stops of the tour: Laramie, WY; Denver, CO; and the Bay Area, CA. The Wyoming Guatemala Accompaniment Project (WYGap) welcomed tour speaker, Association for Justice and Reconciliation President Anselmo Roldán, and NISGUA Programs Coordinator, Ellen Moore. WYGap organized a total of eight events over a day and a half, the majority hosted at University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Anselmo connected with university students from various departments during a dynamic round-table discussion over lunch. Later, he gave a public presentation at the university, drawing people from surrounding communities, thanks to strong local media promotion of the event. Anselmo finished the evening with an interfaith tapas dinner organized by local faith communities followed by a reception at the university.

 

The next morning, Anselmo spoke to a master’s students class and concluded the Laramie visit with a prayer circle before heading to Denver.

WYGap and University of Wyoming students were deeply impacted by Anselmo's visit. They eagerly joined our postcard campaign in support of the genocide sentence with messages for the AJR:

In a world upheld by impunity there can be no justice and gross human rights violations cannot be stopped. We must punish these men and break the cycle of violence.

Democracy cannot function without justice and the rule of law.

I am a Guatemalan immigrant and justice must be served!

Todos tienen el derecho de seguir adelante con la memoria reconocida y la seguridad garantizada. Les apoyo a Uds. en la lucha por justicia y les admiro la valentía.

Injusticia es injusticia. Estamos en solidaridad. Por favor, no dejen de luchar.

In Denver, CO, Anselmo had the unique opportunity to meet with the Romero Theater Troupe, an inspiring group of social justice focused local performers. The Troupe truly connected with Anselmo and the work of the AJR and is excited to continue to build their relationship.

While in Denver, we were honored to join the Denver Justice and Peace Committee (DJPC) for their annual awards night. This year, DJPC chose to to present NISGUA with their Global Justice and Peace award to recognize our work and commitment to justice! See a full photo report of the awards evening here!

Denver sent their own messages of support for the genocide sentence. Some highlights include:

To deny the sentence is to deny the value of lives lost. Each of those who died needlessly has value. The sentence is a recognition of that which was taken from us all.

Ríos Montt is responsible for the massacre of the people and has torn the fabric of the Mayan society, which still lives in fear. He is guilty and needs to pay.

Los responsables del genocidio deben de pagar por sus abusos a la dignidad humana. Es justo.

 

The tour reached its final stop in the Bay Area, CA, also home to NISGUA's US Office and Operations Coordinator, Megan Whelan. Anselmo presented at a community center with a primarily Spanish-speaking audience from the Mission district and surrounding areas. Representatives from community organizations in the Bay Area came out to hear directly from Anselmo.

Anselmo connected with the San Francisco community once again at a public forum at the City College of San Francisco. Anselmo's story impacted the packed room, filled with students, faculty and people from the local community. Once again, the event was widely attended by Spanish speakers, including many Guatemalans who also suffered during the war.

While in San Francisco, City of San Francisco Supervisor, David Campos, awarded Anselmo, in representation of the AJR, a certificate of honor for their work and dedication to justice and peace for the Guatemalan people. Campos, a Guatemalan American who was forced to leave Guatemala with his family during the internal armed conflict, recognized the AJR's historic victory as plaintiffs in the genocide case against Efraín Ríos Montt. He told Anselmo, “The AJR's work is an inspiration for all of us, reminding us to be courageous in the face of injustice.”

Anselmo finished his visit to the Bay Area and closed out the three-week tour as the keynote speaker at 6th Annual Plátanos dinner organized by the Guatemala News and Information Bureau. Anselmo received a standing ovation from dinner attendees for the AJR's incredible gains this year in the process of bringing Ríos Montt to justice for genocide. 

Attendees at the tour events in the Bay Area left inspiring notes of support for the AJR. The Bay Area supports the genocide sentence because:

The lives of Guatemalans matter! Because life everywhere matters! This sentence is a bold stand for life, for honesty, for integrity, and for family history and future. The victories of the AJR are victories for all of us around the world who care about humanity, justice and love. Thank you for your struggle!

Justicia y la verdad en Guatemala son importantes para todo el mundo. Este ejemplo - el ejemplo del trabajo de AJR - demuestra a todo el mundo que NO aceptamos impunidad cuando hay graves crímenes contra la humanidad… Aunque hay gran poderes que quieren impunidad para los criminales políticos en Guatemala, el poder del pueblo y de la gente siempre supera y siempre tiene lo mas fuerza. Hasta la victoria siempre! Y gracias por todo lo que hacen.

I support the genocide sentence because as a young person, I feel that it is important to uphold your own country's law (and international law) and to severely punish someone who ruthlessly killed/massacred a group of people. Montt is a dangerous man, and it's absorb to think that after killing so many Mayans, he, of all people, can walk away without charges.

Those who disregard the basic human right to life must be brought to justice and a message must be sent that justice is not a commodity to be bought and sold.

Para mi es muy importante que se haga JUSTICIA por las masacres/ genocidio y otros crímenes contra el pueblo Indígena Maya en Guatemala. Estamos en solidaridad aquí en San Francisco, CA y vamos a apoyarlos, lo amamos lo bendecimos y cuenten con nosotros.

While our tour has come to a close, we continue to support to the AJR through our petition and postcard campaign. Sign our petition against amnesty for Ríos Montt and send the AJR a personal message in support of the genocide sentence here.

Read about our previous tour stops in Tucson, D.C. and Los Angeles and the Midwest. See what cities we're headed to next by visiting our website.

"Justice for genocide: A survivor's story" visits the Midwest

“We are here in the United States asking for your solidarity. Borders divide us, but justice is a fundamental pillar of democracy” -Anselmo Roldán to the international community

From November 7-11, NISGUA visited six Midwestern cities with Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) president Anselmo Roldán.  The Midwest leg of our speaking tour started in Oberlin, OH, hosted by NISGUA sponsoring community, the Santa Elena Project of Accompaniment (SEPA).

Similar to other sponsoring communities who are connected to NISGUA's Guatemalan Accompaniment Project (G.A.P.), SEPA's direct support to G.A.P. is a concrete example of their solidarity with our partners, the AJR. SEPA was proud to host Anselmo and continue supporting the movement for justice in Guatemala.

Members of SEPA and other attendees at our Oberlin College presentations joined our postcard campaign, sharing why the genocide sentence is important to them. Some highlights from their messages include:

It is vital to give truth and validity to the voices of people that experienced genocide and make sure the law is upheld.

I feel deeply the loss of your loved ones and I want to help you remember them in the strongest way – to let the truth be known.

I believe in the people of Guatemala.

I believe in supporting the truth!  Thank you for your courage and dedication to justice.

It is important that people can live where they have the right to live, and speak their language, and love their families and support themselves without fear.

In addition, Anselmo was able to rest a bit and enjoy a true U.S. Fall while in Oberlin. He happily pitched in raking fallen leaves with SEPA member John Gates!

From Oberlin, Anselmo and NISGUA staffer Ellen Moore headed west to Chicago for three exciting presentations! A Loyola University faculty member hosted two presentations with Anselm, where he spoke to over 80 students who attended from three different universities across Chicago. The students, some hearing about the Guatemalan genocide for the first time, sent powerful messages of support back to Guatemala for the AJR:

Les mandamos nuestro apoyo a la sentencia por genocidio desde Chicago. Es importante estar unidos en tiempos difíciles para poder ejercer cambios.

The calculated, systematic murder of a group of people by their government, which it is supposed to protect and serve, is the greatest crimes imaginable. I support your cause and believe in justice.

The injustice cannot be silenced anymore

I support a world community committed to bringing all crimes against humanity to justice.

Genocide is a tragedy and justice is a basic human rights.

I believe in the right to life, I believe in a lawful government.

We rounded out our Chicago visit with an evening community event at the University Church Chicago. The Guatemala Partnership, based at University Church, graciously hosted a dinner for Anselmo followed by a public presentation. Anselmo spoke before a packed room, sharing his story as a genocide survivor and human rights defender. University Church is deeply connected to the struggle for justice. The Church was a sanctuary church during the 1980s, providing crucial support for Guatemalans fleeing the internal armed conflict. The Church's commitment to peace, justice and solidarity continues:

La verdad es una fuerza que tiene vida propia.  Su ejemplo y su valor me ha cambiado la vida para siempre. Gracias – Reverend Sara Wohlleb

It represents a historic and brave decision for justice and truth and is an example and beacon of hope for the world that those who commit atrocities will be brought to justice.

Until my teacher spent class time to discuss what happened, I was unaware of the genocide. I am amazed by the AJR’s strength. I want to support the people that have suffered so much.

La justicia existe y vive en nuestros corazones y sabemos que su verdad es la verdad.

Innocent people were killed and the guilty are free. There should be justice for genocide and crimes against humanity.

No one has the right to take someone else’s life.

Yo soy refugiado en Chicago con mi familia por causa de la Guerra de Rios Montt.

It is just – and there can be no peace without justice. Dear people of Guatemala, I hold you in my heart.

Finally, Ellen and Anselmo headed to Wisconsin to join NISGUA board president Melinda Van Slyke for three days of events in southern Wisconsin. Committed groups of NISGUA supporters attended community events in both Madison and Spring Green. During downtime, Anselmo and Ellen  enjoyed the natural beauty of a handful of Wisconsin's many lakes.

In Viroqua, WI, we joined longtime NISGUA supporter Connie Vanderhyden of the Kickapoo Guatemala Accompaniment Project (K/GAP) for a community event. Following Anselmo's presentation, K/GAP hosted a meal in order to continue chatting and sharing. Some messages left by attendees for the AJR include:

Every perpetrator of genocide should know that it will not stand before the law. Your courage brings tears to my eyes. Keep telling your truths. We are behind you.

Without justice there will be no peace. La Lucha continua!

Si hubo genocidio en Guatemala! Estimados miembros de la AJR – hay que saber que estamos con ustedes en solidaridad siempre!

Accountability is part of the healing process. Impunity prevents healing. The voices of the Guatemalan people have spoken the truth. Their perseverance and courage are testament to their truth. Justice requires that the sentence stand.

For all the lives lost, and for the ongoing suffering of the survivors the sentence must stand. The world is watching.

Anselmo connected with more Midwest students on his last day in Wisconsin at Viterbo University and University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Students at both universities were captivated by Anselmo's story and joined in our campaign with these powerful messages:

I support the sentence because nobody should be above the law. These communities deserve justice.

Its not about revenge, it’s about justice and everyone deserves justice.

The AJR is courageous for standing up for themselves and coming to the US to tell their story. Thank you for coming to talk to us, and don’t be discouraged.

Please share your own message of support for the historic genocide sentence and the brave survivors of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation and continue the call for NO AMNESTY and NO IMPUNITY for war criminals! Participate today!

Continue to follow the NISGUA tour! Read about our previous stops in Tucson, D.C. and Los Angeles. See what cities we're headed to next by visiting our website.

"Justice for genocide: A survivor's story" visits Los Angeles

The Guatemala Education and Action Project (GEAP) hosted NISGUA and the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) on our third tour stop in Los Angeles. GEAP's events included a press conference, community event and a number of college speaking opportunities for AJR president Anselmo Roldán.

Anselmo receives a plaque by a local Guatemalan in Los Angeles.

Posters calling for justice accompany Anselmo's
presentation at a community event.

NISGUA staffer Ellen Moore supports Anselmo with interpretation.

Nearly 100 local activists and community members greeted and listened to Anselmo at the Los Angeles community-wide event. Groups in attendance included Mujeres Abriendo Caminos, Centro Colectivo de Centro America in Los Angeles, the Maya Center, AGUA, MayaVision, Local 721 SEIU, SOAWatch LA. The event was high energy, with many local Guatemalan Americans in attendance. After Anselmo's presentation, guests enjoyed marimba, dancing, a silent auction and tamales!

Anselmo is welcomed by local Guatemalans and LA activists.

Local Guatemalans who were forced to leave Guatemala due to violence joined the AJR to demand justice for genocide. They participated in our postcard campaign to send messages demonstrating their support for the survivor's organization and the historic genocide sentence back to Guatemala:

En solidaridad con las mujeres y hombres en lucha y justicia para Guatemala. No desmayan – Mujeres Abriendo Caminos

No hay lugar en este mundo, en estos días para estos criminales

Soy guatemalteco, migrante en Los Ángeles. Veo la Verdad, veo que mi pueblo necesita paz verdadera. La verdad es que hubo genocidio y los culpables deben pagar.

Porque yo soy primo, sobrino y hijo de los victimas de la Guerra en Guatemala. Todos los días pienso en una Guatemala en paz. Animo compañeros.

It is time for truth. We want justice.

It is unjust and unfair but your courage is inspiring.

Yo apoyo y los doy fuerza para que enseñen al mundo la democracia

Porque el pueblo indígena de Guatemala merece respeto. Las mejores vibras, aplausos y fuerza en su búsqueda de justicia. Estamos con ustedes.

Yo apoyo que la sentencia se mantenga para hacer valer la memoria de las personas que fueron masacradas.

Send your own message of support to the AJR and take action! Sign the petition to join the call for "NO AMNESTY" and share why the genocide sentence is important to you.

Youth help raise money for the AJR at the LA community event.

A lunch colloquium at Pomona College brought together students and faculty to listen to Anselmo's story. Later that same day, Anselmo presented to a class on Central American politics at California State University - Northridge. Students from both Pomona College and CSUN engaged with great questions for Anselmo and enthusiastically responded to our postcard campaign with messages of why they support the genocide sentence:

 

Mis bisabuelos sobrevivieron un genocidio en Armenia que no está reconocido por todo el mundo. Entiendo que todas las victimas de crímenes contra la humanidad merecen justicia.

The people of Guatemala deserve a justice system that they can rely on to protect their rights.

Representa la esperanza de un Pueblo por la lucha por la justicia.

Justice needs to be served for the ones who died, the ones who suffered and the ones who were silenced.

I believe in a democratic government and this means that the government must protect the citizen’s rights.

My parents are from Guatemala. This is the first time I have heard of this and I will now support this case to the end. Justice must be done.

A nation cannot prosper if it oppresses its own people. For this and many more reasons, I support the genocide sentence.

The faith of the AJR is inspiring. I wish you the best of luck, strength and patience with this journey. Support from Cal State Northridge!

Continue to follow the NISGUA tour! Read about our previous stops in Tucson and D.C. See what cities we're headed to next by visiting our website.