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UN warns of 'deteriorating climate' for human rights defenders in Guatemala
UN Photo/F. Charton
A Cakchiquel family in the hamlet of Patzutzun, Guatemala.
18 May 2018
Human Rights
It’s becoming increasingly dangerous to defend the rights of indigenous people in Guatemala, the United Nations human rights office warned on Friday, following the murder of three activists over the past 10 days.
“We are concerned about what appears to be a deteriorating climate for the defence of human rights in Guatemala,” Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva, urging the State to ensure a safe working environment free from threats and attacks.
On 9 May, a rights officer working on behalf peasants and indigenous peoples, was killed in the town of San Luis Jilotepeque Jalapa.
A community leader from the grassroots social justice group known as Comité Campesino de Desarrollo del Altiplano (CCDA), was murdered on 10 May, and another member of the organization was found dead on 13 May.
More:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1010102