Guatemala
04.08.00
Urgent Interventions
Guatemala: Murder
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
GTM 006 / 0008 / OBS 078
Murder
GUATEMALA
4th August 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your intervention in connection with the following situation in Guatemala.
Brief description of the situation
The Observatory expresses its grave concern at the murder of Sra María Elena Mejía and Sr Alfredo Quino Matzar, leaders of the Coordinación Regional de Cooperativas Integrales (CORCI).
According to information communicated to the Observatory by the CLADHELT (Comisión Latinoamericana por los Derechos Humanos y las Libertades de los Trabajadores y de los Pueblos), Sra María Elena Mejía and Sr Alfredo Quino Matzar were murdered by unidentified armed men on July 20th 2000, in the area of San Andrés Semetabaj, region of Sololà.
This act, which follows several others perpetrated in the course of the present year, confirms the fears of the Observatory and the NGOs concerning the existence of a climate of extreme insecurity, especially for human and trade union rights defenders in Guatemala.
The Observatory considers that this situation is a serious and inadmissible obstacle to the enjoyment of fundamental rights and liberties, especially in the case of those who strive to promote and defend those same rights and liberties which is made worse by what it sees as the failure of the authorities to adopt effective measures to combat such actions and punish those responsible.
Action requested
Please write to the Guatemalan authorities urging them to:
i. carry out an effective and impartial investigation into the deaths of Sra María Elena Mejía and Sr Alfredo Quino Matzar, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and punish them in accordance with the provisions of the law in force;
ii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9th 1998, especially with reference to the right of every person "...individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art 1.) and the obligation for the State to guarantee "... the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration." (Art.12. 2);
iii. in general act in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international covenants and conventions ratified by Guatemala.
Addresses
S.E. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera – Presidente de la Républica de Guatemala. Fax: (+ 502) 221 45 37 / Fax: (+ 502) 334 16 15
Sr. Julio Arango Escobar Procurador de Derechos Humanos, 12 Avenida 12-72, Zona 1, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : (+ 502) 238 17 34
Sr. Ministro de Gobernación, Ministerio de Gobernación, Palacio Nacional, 6 Calle y 7 Avenida, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : (+ 502) 362 02 39
Sr. Fiscal General de la Nación, Ministerio Público, 6 Av 3-11, Zona 4, Guatemala. Guatemala.
Fax : (+ 502) 331 4336
Comisión Presidencial de Derechos Humanos (Copredeh) E-mail:copredeh@guate.net
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Palacio Nacional, 6 Calle y 7 Avenida, Zona 1, Guatemala, Guatemala.
Fax : (+ 502) 251 8445. E-mail : mint@mieno.gt
Sr Mario Rene Cifuentes Echeverría, Director de la Policía Nacional. Fax: (+ 502) 2519382
Geneva - Paris, 4th of August 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line, Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 E.Mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
GTM 006 / 0008 / OBS 078
Murder
GUATEMALA
4th August 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your intervention in connection with the following situation in Guatemala.
Brief description of the situation
The Observatory expresses its grave concern at the murder of Sra María Elena Mejía and Sr Alfredo Quino Matzar, leaders of the Coordinación Regional de Cooperativas Integrales (CORCI).
According to information communicated to the Observatory by the CLADHELT (Comisión Latinoamericana por los Derechos Humanos y las Libertades de los Trabajadores y de los Pueblos), Sra María Elena Mejía and Sr Alfredo Quino Matzar were murdered by unidentified armed men on July 20th 2000, in the area of San Andrés Semetabaj, region of Sololà.
This act, which follows several others perpetrated in the course of the present year, confirms the fears of the Observatory and the NGOs concerning the existence of a climate of extreme insecurity, especially for human and trade union rights defenders in Guatemala.
The Observatory considers that this situation is a serious and inadmissible obstacle to the enjoyment of fundamental rights and liberties, especially in the case of those who strive to promote and defend those same rights and liberties which is made worse by what it sees as the failure of the authorities to adopt effective measures to combat such actions and punish those responsible.
Action requested
Please write to the Guatemalan authorities urging them to:
i. carry out an effective and impartial investigation into the deaths of Sra María Elena Mejía and Sr Alfredo Quino Matzar, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and punish them in accordance with the provisions of the law in force;
ii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9th 1998, especially with reference to the right of every person "...individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art 1.) and the obligation for the State to guarantee "... the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration." (Art.12. 2);
iii. in general act in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international covenants and conventions ratified by Guatemala.
Addresses
S.E. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera – Presidente de la Républica de Guatemala. Fax: (+ 502) 221 45 37 / Fax: (+ 502) 334 16 15
Sr. Julio Arango Escobar Procurador de Derechos Humanos, 12 Avenida 12-72, Zona 1, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : (+ 502) 238 17 34
Sr. Ministro de Gobernación, Ministerio de Gobernación, Palacio Nacional, 6 Calle y 7 Avenida, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : (+ 502) 362 02 39
Sr. Fiscal General de la Nación, Ministerio Público, 6 Av 3-11, Zona 4, Guatemala. Guatemala.
Fax : (+ 502) 331 4336
Comisión Presidencial de Derechos Humanos (Copredeh) E-mail:copredeh@guate.net
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Palacio Nacional, 6 Calle y 7 Avenida, Zona 1, Guatemala, Guatemala.
Fax : (+ 502) 251 8445. E-mail : mint@mieno.gt
Sr Mario Rene Cifuentes Echeverría, Director de la Policía Nacional. Fax: (+ 502) 2519382
Geneva - Paris, 4th of August 2000
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line, Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 E.Mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch