Human Rights First Calls on New Guatemalan President to Address Human Rights Concerns

January 14, 2004

Human Rights First today wrote to the new President of Guatemala, Oscar Berger, urging him to make the promotion of human rights one of his top priorities. Berger, who was inaugurated today in Guatemala City, was the presidential candidate of the Grand National Alliance party and beat General Efrain Rios Montt, candidate of the incumbent Guatemalan Republican Front party, as well as Alvaro Colom of the National Hope Unity party.

In the letter to President Berger, Human Rights First’s Executive Director, Mike Posner, expressed concern about the threatening and dangerous climate in which Guatemalan human rights defenders operate, noting the numerous incidents of threats, harassment and violent attacks against such defenders. Human Rights First urged the President to ensure the protection of all human rights defenders in Guatemala and to investigate and prosecute all attacks against them.

The letter further described the creation of the Commission of Investigation of Illegal Groups and Clandestine Security Forces (Comisión de Investigación de Cuerpos Ilegales y Aparatos Clandestinos de Seguridad, CICIACS) as an important step in combating attacks on human rights defenders and others that are carried out by clandestine groups and their associates. Human Rights First called upon the President to support the prompt enactment and implementation of the agreement to bring the CICIACS into existence and to ensure its effective and independent functioning.

The letter reminded President Berger of Guatemala’s obligations towards the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights, emphasizing the need to act promptly to implement the decisions of these bodies.

Human Rights First also raised the issue of impunity for human rights violations, which is a serious problem in Guatemala. The letter urged the President to combat impunity by ensuring that effective investigations and prosecutions of all persons responsible for serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are carried out. It noted in particular the international obligation to investigate and prosecute any person who has committed acts of genocide or crimes against humanity and asked the President to ensure the necessary resources for the public prosecutors and courts and to strengthen and support existing human rights institutions such as the national human rights ombudsman.

Human Rights First finally called upon President Berger to accede promptly to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to become party to the ICC’s Agreement on Privileges and Immunities.