Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA

Guatemalan Congress Passes CICIG

August 2, 2007

The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) was approved by the Guatemalan Congress on August 1. The Commission is a joint operation between Guatemala and the UN that will investigate organized crime and clandestine operations in Guatemala. It will consist of forensic scientists, investigators, attorneys, and judicial experts from Guatemala as well as the international community. The CICIG will begin work within the next six to twelve months for an initial period of two years.

Plans for the CICIG began five years ago, however negotiations delayed the process. Guatemalan authorities opposed early versions of the Commission fearing that the CICIG would impede on Guatemala’s sovereignty. The final version of the Commission was presented in December 2006, however, and was subsequently declared “constitutional” by the Guatemalan Constitutional Court in May 2007. Despite heavy opposition from several major political parties, the CICIG received 110 votes out of 105 that were needed.

The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) feels that the CICIG is a huge step toward ending impunity in Guatemala. Organized crime has recently invaded almost every aspect of Guatemalan society, from politics to the judicial system to civil society. Only two percent of crimes in Guatemala are investigated and prosecuted, while approximately 6,000 people are murdered every year. The CICIG is a landmark decision that will hopefully curtail the escalating violence that plagues the country. For more information, please contact GHRC at (202) 529-6599 or ghrc-usa@ghrc-usa.org.

 

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