NO MORE POLITICS & BUSINESS AS USUAL
WITH WAR CRIMINALS IN GUATEMALA
(OR ANYWHERE)

BELOW: An Open Letter in support of the Genocide legal trials in Guatemala

(Version en espanol disponible: info@rightsaction.org)

This Open Letter comes at a time when the leading presidential candidate is ex-General Otto Perez Molina, himself alleged to be an intellectual and material author of war crimes, including genocide, torture and disappearances.

The underlying point to all of this, we believe, is that of no more business and politics as usual with war criminals in Guatemala (or anywhere). This goes for governments, companies, investors, the World Bank, the United Nations, etc.

SEE BELOW: How to support courageous Guatemalan groups working and struggling for memory and truth, and for justice

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OPEN LETTER
Subject: Justice for genocide in Guatemala

Ciudad de Guatemala, September 2011

ACOGUATE
7ª Calle 1-34, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala

Álvaro Colom
President
Secretaría Privada de la Presidencia
Palacio Nacional de la Cultura 2do nivel

Claudia Paz y Paz
Attorney General
15 Avenida 15-16 8º. Nivel
Zona 1 Barrio Gerona
Ciudad de Guatemala

Carlos Menocal
Interior Minister
6a Avenida 13-71, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala

Ruth del Valle Cóbar
President, COPREDEH
2a. Avenida 10-50, Zona 9
Ciudad de Guatemala

Sergio Fernando Morales Alvarado
Human Rights Ombudsman
Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos
12 Avenida 12-72, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala

Judiciary
[Dirección]

Foreign Affairs Ministry
[Dirección]

Subject: Justice for genocide in Guatemala

Dear [Title]:

We, the below-signed organizations, address ourselves to the institutions of the Guatemalan government, as well as the diplomatic corps and the international community, to express our support for the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) and the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH) in their long campaign to achieve justice for the genocide committed in Guatemala in the 1980s.

We recognize the achievement of an historic advance in the struggle against impunity with Judge Carol Patricia Flores' decision to try General Héctor Mario López Fuentes for the genocide, crimes against humanity, and forced disappearances committed against the Maya Ixil people during the de facto regime of General Efraín Ríos Montt.

With this letter, we express our hope that the legal cases for genocide move forward effectively, in compliance with national and international law as well as the rights of the survivors of genocide.

We also express our support for the international accompaniment provided to the AJR and CALDH by the Project for International Accompaniment in Guatemala (ACOGUATE). A network of international organizations from Europe and North America, ACOGUATE provides accompaniment to Guatemalan human rights defenders in situations of threats or risk due to their work on behalf of human rights.

The international organizations which make up ACOGUATE and the other international organizations which have signed this letter express our concern that the advances in the legal process brought by the AJR and CALDH could lead to an increased security risk for these organizations, as has been seen in other legal cases against grave violations of human rights and crimes of the past.

We trust that the Guatemalan State will guarantee the right of these organizations and their members to carry out their activities in an environment of safety and respect for their fundamental human rights, both within the legal process and beyond. We urge the international community as well to accompany this historic process and uphold the rights to justice and truth in Guatemala.

Sincerely,

International member organizations of ACOGUATE
ADA, Austria
CAREA e.V., Alemania
Collectíf Guatemala, Francia
Guatemala Solidarity Network, Inglaterra
La Red en Solidaridad con el Pueblo de Guatemala de los Estados Unidos (NISGUA)
Movimiento Sueco por la Reconciliación (SweFOR)
Peace Watch Suiza
Plataforma de solidaridad con Chiapas y Guatemala de Madrid (Estado español)
Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala, Canada
Rompiendo el Silencio, Canada

International civil society organizations

Copies to:
AJR, CALDH, Office of the UN High Commissoner for Human Rights in Guatemala, Embassies

Please consider signing on to this initiative.
Deadline: September 5.
Send your organization's name to: caig@riseup.net.

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WHAT TO DO:

TO MAKE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS for Guatemalan organizations working for truth and memory, and for justice for war crimes and human rights violations, make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:

UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA: 552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8

CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm
DONATIONS OF STOCK: info@rightsaction.org

MORE INFORMATION about Guatemalan organizations working for truth and memory, and for justice for war crimes and human rights violations: info@rightsaction.org

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