Rapid Response Network

Assassination of Juana Ramírez Santiago, age 57, a women’s rights advocate and member of the Mayan Ixil community in Nebaj municipality, Quiche Department.

President Morales’ announcement on August 31 to not renew the mandate of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the resulting harassment and intimidation of prominent human rights leaders and their organizations.

Criminalization of student leaders and activists in Nicaragua

Attack on Inmer Gerardo Chévez, a journalist for the past fourteen years at Radio Progreso in El Progreso, Yoro Department.

Death threats against Afro-descendant leaders in Colombia involved in the peace process, particularly in Cauca Department. We are particularly concerned for the safety of human rights defenders Luis Alfredo Bonilla, Gary Escobar, and Roassana Mejía Caicedo.

Attack on Rolanda de Jesús García Hernandez, an indigenous Mayan K'iche journalist working for teleSUR, an international television network, who was reporting on environmental destruction.

Attacks against indigenous leaders in Colombia, particularly in the Southwest (departments of Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Nariño). According to human rights organizations in Colombia, more than 120 social leaders have been assassinated in the first six months of 2018, 40% of them in the Southwest.

Beating, arrest, and arbitrary detention on August 14 of Edwin Choc and Martín Chub, local leaders of the Farmer’s Committee of the Highlands (CCDA). Police detained them in Cobán, Alta Verapaz Department, after they attended a meeting with government authorities that was part of the Permanent Dialogue between authorities, campesino and indigenous communities.

Murder of Ángel Estuardo Quevado on July 12 in the municipality of Santa Rosa de Lima, Santa Rosa Department, Guatemala. He resided in the municipality of Casillas and was a member of the Peaceful Resistance movement of Santa Rosa, Jalapa, and Jutiapa that is demanding the permanent closure of the Escobal silver mine, owned by your company and operated by your subsidiary, Minera San Rafael, S.A.

Assassination of Juana Raymundo, age 25, a nurse and member of the Campesino Development Committee (CODECA). She disappeared the night of July 27 from Nebaj in Quiché Department. On July 28 neighbors found her dead body, showing signs of torture, near a small river between the Nebaj and Acambalam communities.