IRTF News

Amnesty International's new report, "The entire system against us," highlights the abuse of Guatemala's criminal justice system by officials from the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary to suppress efforts against corruption and impunity. This pattern of harassment includes gender-based violence and discrimination, severely impacting women justice operators and human rights defenders. The report details how these women face unfounded criminal charges, unfair trials, and multiple rights violations, such as prolonged pre-trial detention and public and online harassment.

Key cases include former judge Erika Aifán, former prosecutor Virginia Laparra, assistant prosecutors Paola Escobar and Aliss Morán, and lawyer Claudia González. These women were targeted for their legitimate work against corruption and faced additional punishment for challenging traditional gender roles.

Amnesty International documents systemic issues, such as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), improper pre-trial detention, and harassment. The organization calls for urgent reforms to protect justice operators and human rights defenders, emphasizing the need to address gender-based violence, ensure fair legal proceedings, and uphold the independence of the judiciary to restore justice in Guatemala.

On May 21, 2024, 85 organizations from the Americas and Europe issued a statement condemning state surveillance, harassment, and intimidation against human rights attorneys and advocates in El Salvador. Since the implementation of the State of Exception, an emergency measure suspending basic rights, there has been a marked increase in police harassment and surveillance of those representing victims of arbitrary arrest and political persecution.

Attorney Ivania Cruz from COFAPPES presented evidence of state surveillance, while attorneys from Socorro Jurídico Humanitario reported defamation campaigns and police intrusions. Members of MOVIR, representing families of those arbitrarily arrested, also faced harassment and threats. Community leaders in the rural Bajo Lempa region reported youth arrests and beatings in retaliation for criticizing the militarized repression.

The coalition, including groups like the American Association of Jurists and WOLA, called for a thorough investigation by the Attorney General and protective measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. They also urged the U.S. to halt security assistance to El Salvador due to the government's actions against human rights defenders and the erosion of democracy.

In "Flights: Radicals on the Run," Joel Whitney discusses Rigoberta Menchú's harrowing experiences as an indigenous activist in Guatemala. Menchú's life was marked by tragedy, including the loss of her family to military regimes and her own involvement in the struggle for indigenous rights. Despite enduring unimaginable suffering, Menchú's resilience led her to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and establish Guatemala's first indigenous political party. Through her activism and memoir, Menchú shed light on the atrocities committed against the Maya population, including massacres, forced labor, and cultural suppression. Whitney's article highlights Menchú's journey from victim to advocate, emphasizing her enduring impact on Guatemala's political landscape.

Nicaragua's congress recently revoked a controversial canal concession awarded to a Chinese businessman after nearly a decade. The proposed canal, aimed to link Nicaragua's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, faced significant opposition from farmers fearing land seizures and environmentalists warning of its impact. Despite a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in 2014, no actual work commenced on the project. The cancellation of the concession marks the end of a project viewed by many as unfeasible and environmentally risky. Critics of President Daniel Ortega's government saw the canal as emblematic of his increasingly repressive regime, while supporters argued it would boost the economy and create jobs.

At the end of its seventh year, the implementation of the 2016 Colombian Peace Accord is at a critical midpoint. A new report from the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) at the Keough School of Global Affairs’ Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies details the current status of the accord's implementation, highlighting progress and challenges as the peace process enters the second half of its 15-year plan.

The eighth comprehensive report, “Seven Years of Final Accord Implementation: Perspectives to Strengthen Peacebuilding at the Halfway Point,” covers December 2022 to November 2023, using quantitative and qualitative data to assess the implementation of all 578 stipulations in the agreement.

Key events during this period include the government's focus on the Total Peace policy, aimed at negotiating with illegal armed actors for sustainable peace, and the regional elections in October 2023, along with the adoption of the National Development Plan (PND) 2022–2026.

Data reveals that 10% of stipulations have not started, 39% are minimally implemented, 19% are at an intermediate stage, and 32% are completed. Most points in the agreement saw changes in implementation levels, except for the Problem of Illicit Drugs. Integral Rural Reform (Point 1) and Verification and Monitoring Mechanisms (Point 6) were particularly dynamic but remain among the least implemented.

Although implementation has continued over the past seven years, progress has been slow since 2019. This trend saw a slight improvement in 2023, with 2% of stipulations initiating implementation, up from 1% in 2022.

Effective peace agreements maintain momentum early and mid-term. However, there is concern about completing the remaining 49% of commitments within the 15-year deadline. The disparity in implementation levels is partly due to the complexity of reforms and partly to ineffective or incomplete implementation, particularly in gender, ethnic, and territorial integration.

The report concludes with recommendations for strengthening the implementation process, including transparent execution of the PND, convening the Peace Cabinet, and reviewing the Framework Plan for Implementation. The Kroc Institute has also produced a policy brief summarizing key points and released several prior reports on various aspects of the peace process.

In a court hearing in San Salvador on April 10, a judge upheld charges against five anti-mining activists known as the Santa Marta Five. The activists, arrested in January 2023, face charges of "illicit association" and an alleged murder dating back to the Salvadoran Civil War. Supporters believe that Bukele's administration targets them for their roles in the country's mining ban. Despite being granted house arrest in August 2023, international support calls for justice, as concerns arise over the motive behind their criminalization and its threat to the mining ban.

The Santa Marta Five, including Teodoro Antonio Pacheco and Saúl Agustín Rivas Ortega, are esteemed community leaders who fought against the US-backed military dictatorship in the 1980s. They played pivotal roles in rebuilding their community post-civil war and organizing against foreign mining companies in the 2010s, leading to the historic mining ban of 2017. However, their detention under Bukele's administration raises concerns about legal rights.

Bukele's rise to power signifies a shift from the promises of the 1992 peace accords, as his administration undermines democratic principles and human rights. Despite his efforts to combat gang violence, his tactics, including indefinite detention without due process, draw criticism. The state of exception, declared in 2022 and now permanent, suspends civil and political rights, posing a threat to human rights and the rule of law. The broader implications extend to environmental activism and economic interests, overshadowing the fight against gang violence.