Guatemala: Repression against peasant women and men

In the middle of March, public security forces repressed demonstrations of peasants and civilians. One of the demonstrators, Juan López Velásquez, was killed, tens of persons were injured. Various Guatemalan social movements called for and celebrated demonstrations throughout the whole country and called for a national strike, as an action of protest against the recent ratification of the CAFTA ( Free Trade Treaty between the United States, Central America and the Dominican Republic) by the Congress. Arrest orders were announced against two of the main peasant and indigenous leaders of the country, Daniel Pascual and Carlos Arreaga. The events of 14th and 15th of March add up to a worrying increase of violence against social movements, especially against peasants and human rights defenders. ( cf. FIAN- Hotline 0501HGTM).

Regarding this situation of violence, criminalization and impunity, it is very important to set the Guatemalan authorities under pressure so that they take urgent measures to respect and protect the human rights of the organized and non-organized peasant members, like the right to demonstrate and the right to life. Please send this letter to the Guatemalan President, in which you express your concern about this case. Also ask the President to adopt measures to end the repression against the peasant organizations and the DDHH defenders.