The exhumation of a clandestine grave scheduled for September 28 in Chiul, Quiché–a grave believed to contain the bodies of 116 children–was prevented by men who attacked the team of experts, human rights accompaniers, and journalists assembled to oversee the process. The exhumation–headed by the Public Ministry in coordination with the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG)–is part of an investigation into a massacre committed by the Guatemalan armed forces in 1988. During the massacre, 116 children in the village Cunén were reportedly tortured and thrown into a well to drown.
Upon the arrival of the team to the massacre site, a group of community members said to be former civil patrollers blocked their access, preventing them from beginning to exhume the remains of the victims. The situation escalated into violence and in the midst of the conflict, the aggressors illegally detained community journalist Jose Guarcas, who was documenting the events. Eventually, with the help of GHRC’s team, which was present and coordinated with the Public Ministry, Guarcas was released.
As Hector Reyes, of the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), explains, “The Public Ministry showed a complete lack of understanding of the context and the risk in that region.” In an alert released by the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Guatemala (UDEFEGUA), the organization called on the Public Ministry to take action. UDEFEGUA later condemned the events that occurred and demanded that “the attacks and intimidations against those that seek justice stop.”
Our team has been providing support to ensure the completion of the investigation into the massacre and supporting the victims and relatives in their search for justice.
Updates from Other Cases our Team is Accompanying
Anastasia Mejia: Charges Dropped Against Criminalized Journalist
GHRC’s team accompanied Maya K’iche’ journalist and human rights defender Anastasia Mejia as she faced baseless charges in a blatant attempt by the Mayor of Joyabaj–who is named on the Engel List for subverting democracy in Guatemala–to criminalize her. On September 3, the judge dropped the charges against her and fellow human rights defender Patrona Siy Castro for lack of evidence. Our team supported Mejia through the legal process, providing accompaniment to her hearings and documenting the attempt to criminalize her for her work exposing corruption in Joyabaj.
Laguna Larga: Displaced Community Holds State Accountable to IACHR Ruling
GHRC has been accompanying the community of Laguna Larga since 2017. When Guatemalan armed forces evicted 111 families from their homes, GHRC petitioned the IACHR for protective measures, which were granted on September 29, 2017. Our team also accompanied the families to the hearings associated with the 2018 Constitutional Court ruling requiring the Guatemalan government to guarantee the health and safety of the community and find a permanent solution. Four years later, our team continues to accompany the community, since the government has failed to find a viable solution and continues to violate their rights to health, education, water, and decent housing. (read more about the case here)
Alaska Massacre: Families Seek Justice After 9 Years
Our team continues to accompany the widows and victims from the 2012 massacre that took place in La Cumbre de Alaska when Guatemalan soldiers opened fire on peaceful protesters. Earlier this month, our team attended the most recent hearing in the case. Judge Claudia Dominguez ruled that the members of the Guatemalan military arrested for perpetrating the massacre must stand trial for extrajudicial killing. Currently, the widows and victims are concerned that the 8 accused were released from pretrial detention; they fear for their safety now that these ex-soldiers await their trials in freedom. GHRC will continue to accompany the families as the trial progresses. (For more details on the case read our blog post.)