Social exclusion is demonstrated in a lack of health services sufficiently equipped to meet the needs of the Indigenous population, especially those living in remote areas. MARTIN: People in Indigenous communities are exposed to the same disinformation as elsewhere and the falsehood that the vaccine is experimental. "We remain deeply concerned about long periods of pre-trial detention and the repeated suspension of hearings, which prolongs trials," the experts said. There have also been no culturally-relevant communication programmes in native languages. September 15 marks 200 years since the Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica gained independence from Spain. Although the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala recognises the existence of Indigenous Peoples and calls itself a multicultural society, and despite the fact that the country has ratified international agreements on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, in practice, the social, economic and political gap between the Indigenous and non-indigenous population is a wide one. The then-leader of the country, Rafael Carrera, began to rule as a dictator, later declaring Guatemala a sovereign republic in 1847. In fact, human rights activists all over Guatemala, but mostly in the highlands, face danger and threats everyday. While he did not succeed in ending the civil war, he did play an important role in the Central-American Peace Accord of 1987 which helped lay a foundation to the end of the war. For more information and media requests, please contact Mr. Jos Parra (jose.parra@ohchr.org) or Ms. Isabela Zaleski Mori (consultant.zaleskimori@ohchr.org). society demanded transparency and fairness in the use of public funds. Although the Government of Guatemala has adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the countrys indigenous peoples continue to face a number of challenges. Written on 24 April 2019. Last year, elections took place to choose the new President of Guatemala. They are independent of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity. A ruling was expected in 15 days but it has yet to be issued. MARTIN: Ratzan Pablo believes in the power of prayer but also of modern medicine. Guatemala continues to suffer from a lack of reliable data on its indigenous peoples. According to figures from the 2018 census, Guatemala has a population of 14.9 million inhabitants, 6.5 million (43.75%) of which self-identify as Indigenous, from the Maya, Garfuna and Xinca Indigenous Peoples, or Creole (Afrodescendants). And so did several others who worked on this project. According to the 2015 study by the Central American Institute of Fiscal Studies, the Guatemalan state invested forty-five cents in Indigenous communities for every dollar the State invested in non-Indigenous communities. But if he were a little more sincere, than we would trust him. The Other Americans is a column created by Abbott forThe Progressiveon human migration in North and Central America. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) emphasises that these events targeted people who were defending Indigenous Peoples rights. In 1944, Juan Jos Arvalo, a critic of Ubico, was named president of Guatemala. Follow news related to the UN independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts. to indigenous peoples' representatives, the true figure is closer to 60 per cent. False accusations, planted evidence, fraudulent use of bank accounts and the absence of translation services during the legal process are among the many recurring irregularities. Based on data from August 2021 to August 2022, the organisation said Guatemala had entered the "high restrictions" category, dropping two places in their country ranking because of serious ongoing attacks on the press. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Manuel Picahau gets his news from a local station. Five men, Kaqchikel Maya agricultural workers ranging in age from 30 to 50, shoot the breeze as they wait to have their shoes shined. These organizations need your help to keep supporting Guatemalas indigenous population. Two new DGMs were approved in 2021 for Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), each for US$4.5 million. MARTIN: As this newscast reported, in early October, a brigade of public health workers visiting a Q'eqchi' Maya village was attacked by people, who also destroyed their vials of vaccines. MARTIN: Ratzan Pablo says the Maya have survived the Spanish conquest, a recent genocide and countless natural disasters. [8], In the midst of the pandemic, in an act not seen since the end of the civil war, the President of the Republic, Alejandro Gammattei, publicly humiliated the Indigenous mayor of the Kaqchikel people of Comalapa, Chimaltenango. Voting was scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. (0730 GMT) in Nigeria's presidential and parliamentary election, though Reuters reporters in several locations across the country saw polling stations. She's a public health nurse from Santiago, who's recently been charged with heading up the vaccination program for the entire province. *The experts:Mr.Francisco Cali Tzay, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples; Mr.Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Mr. Surya Deva (Chairperson), Ms. Elbieta Karska (Vice-Chairperson), Mr. Githu Muigai, Mr. Dante Pesce, and Ms. Anita Ramasastry, Working Group on business and human rights; Ms.Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; The Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups are part of what are known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. One widely repudiated act was the murder of Domingo Choc, a Qeqch Indigenous healer from San Luis, Petn department. He launched a campaign against indigenous communities and rural citizens, forcing indigenous men to join the military to fight the rebellions. The concept "people" refers to the set of features that characterize a human group in terms of their territory, history, culture, and ethnicity from which they builds a sense of identity (1,2,3,4,5,6).Indigenous peoples of Latin America are recognized as the direct descendants of the inhabitants of this region before the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century. On June 18, Guatemalan exiles who were armed and trained by the CIA and U.S. Marine Corps officers invaded Guatemala. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. The Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system, is the general name for the Council's independent investigative and monitoring mechanisms that deal with specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Niegan el ingreso al alcalde de Carcha a reunin con el presidente Alejandro Giammattei. [Carcha Mayor denied entry to meeting with President Alejandro Giammattei] Prensa Libre, 7 November 2020. https://www.prensalibre.com/ciudades/alta-verapaz/niegan-ingreso-a-alcalde-de-carcha-a-reunion-con-el-presidente-alejandro-giammattei/, [11] Bono familia: negocio para algunos, falsa expectativa para otros. [Family voucher: business for some, false expectations for others] Perspectiva, 22 July 2020. https://www.perspectiva.gt/noticias/bono-familia-negocio-para-algunos-falsa-expectativa-para-otros/, [12] Reginaldo Chayax Huex. The New York Times, 11 October 2020. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=reginaldo-chayax-huex&pid=196929391, [13] Un incendio premeditado y gases lacrimgenos esperaban a una manifestacin pacfica. [Arson and tear gas awaited peaceful demonstration] El Peridico, 22 November 2020. https://elperiodico.com.gt/nacionales/2020/11/22/un-incendio-premeditado-y-gases-lacrimogenos-esperaban-a-una-manifestacion-pacifica/, [14]Pueblos indgenas denuncian abuso de autoridad por parte del gobierno actual. [Indigenous Peoples denounce governments abuse of authority] El Peridico, 24 November 2020. https://elperiodico.com.gt/nacionales/2020/11/24/pueblos-indigenas-denuncian-abuso-de-autoridad-por-parte-del-gobierno-actual/, [15] Barrientos Castaeda, Miguel, Tragedia en Quej, San Cristobal Verapaz: suspenden bsqueda por ETA. [Tragedy in Quej, San Cristobal Verapaz: search suspended by Eta] Prensa Libre, 10 November 2020. https://www.prensalibre.com/ciudades/alta-verapaz/tragedia-en-queja-san-cristobal-verapaz-suspenden-busqueda-de-victimas-por-eta/, [16] Oliva, William. Learn more. Stepnick, Andi,, OBrien, Eileen, 1972- (Eighth ed.). Maria Martin traveled to some Indigenous Mayan communities in Guatemala and found people using methods both ancient and modern to try to make it through the pandemic. Donovan's photography is on view at the museum in a temporary exhibit. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Corruption is rampant, impunity reigns, quality economic opportunity remains elusive for youths, insecurity permeates all levels of society, and, for many, there is no way out. Guatemala. The Indigenous population has suffered from the institutionalization of racial discrimination, exclusion, and violence from the State in various forms.. Los pueblos coloniales de la costa sur de Guatemala. [The colonial villages of Guatemala's south coast], Prensa Libre, 22 January 2017. https://www.prensalibre.com/revista-d/los-pueblos-coloniales-de-la-costa-sur/, [6] Guatemala afronta una pobreza multidimensional del 61%. Statement by Mr. Ivan imonovi, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights at the special event at the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women on Obligations and Practical Measures to Support Women Human Rights Defenders, 12 March 2013, UN Headquarters, New York, Intervention of the Special Rapporteur at the Thematic Debate of the General Assembly "Water, Sanitation and Sustainable Energy In the Post-2015 Development Agenda", National institutions and regional mechanisms, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Working Group on business and human rights, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. October 26, 2021 A Call to Action to Stop Repression against Q'eqchi Peoples in Guatemala En espaol On October 24, 2021, Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei declared a state of siege (martial law) in the town of El Estor, Izabal, in response to clashes between Indigenous Q'eqchi land defenders and the State police. Thousand Oaks, California. A law that threatens the right to defend human rights entered into force. . The genocide continues today. In retaliation, smear campaigns were launched in newspapers, on television and social media to discredit his work and to portray human rights defenders in a negative light, the experts said. A newly unsealed federal criminal indictment also describes how MS-13 gang leaders negotiated with El Salvador's top jailer, Osiris Luna Meza, who now oversees Nayib Bukele's new mega-prison. What remains to be understood from the perspective of migration is that in many places in Guatemala, it is not that the State has abandoned themit is that the State has never been. TRENTON, Canada. Learn more about each topic, see who's involved, and find the latest news, reports, events and more. 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