Guatemalan Survivors Struggle to Pursue Justice

August 27, 2007 – (OneWorld) Twenty-five years after 177 indigenous women and children were massacred at Rio Negro, central Guatemala, the search for justice continues. And, as a new publication from survivors makes clear, the campaign is encountering red tape, a shortage of money and outright intimidation.

According to the recently-published newsletter of ADIVIMA, the survivors’ association, 15 massacre victims were exhumed near Rio Negro and reburied this June. But the pace of exhumations has since slowed sharply because of a lack of funds. In another setback, a judge postponed a hearing early last month to review the case against several former paramilitary fighters indicted for involvement in the massacre, bringing the legal process to a temporary halt.

Meanwhile, at the national level, the Guatemalan Congress approved a new commission against impunity (CIGIC) on August 1, in an attempt to strengthen Guatemala's justice system. But right-wing parties voted against the commission, and many fear the Guatemalan government will provide only lukewarm support.

The Rio Negro massacre was one of the most notorious incidents in Guatemala's 36-year-long civil war. It was carried out on March 13, 1982 after the Rio Negro villgers refused to leave and make way for a World Bank supported dam. After male villagers fled into the hills, the women and children were murdered by civil patrol members from neighboring villages. The survivors were eventually relocated to Pacux, on the outskirts of the town of Rabinal, from where they have continued to demand justice - as evidenced by their new website and newsletter.

Abby Weil, a Peace Fellow of The Advocacy Project who volunteered with ADIVIMA this summer, helped edit and organize both publications. According to the ADIVIMA newsletter, several key court cases have stalled because of obstruction from the local authorities. Still, ADIVIMA's advocacy has sent nine paramilitaries to jail for participating in the 1983 massacre. Three were sentenced to more than 50 years. This is largely due to the courage of survivors, many of whom defied threats to testify.

In one of her blogs, Ms Weil describes meeting one witness whose mother was killed in front of her eyes. Those who listened were "emotionally overwhelmed," writes Ms Weil. But they were also inspired by the women's bravery:

"Many witnesses never make it to their court date or are killed shortly after their testimony." In another blog, Ms Weil writes about the special problems that face indigenous women who seek legal redress, including intimidation, long distances, and a lack of understanding from those who record their testimony.

According to one support group, the Defensoria de la Mujer Indigena (DEMI), 63 percent of all indigenous women speak a Mayan language, rather than Spanish.In spite of all these challenges, the Rio Negro survivors remain fiercely motivated, like so many community-based human rights advocates. ADIVIMA also tries to address their social and economic needs. One new project, launched last month, will provide education scholarships of up to $350 for five girls who lost relatives in the 1983 massacre. One of the girls, 13-year-old Brenda Noemy Chen Perez, told Ms Weil that she is so determined to benefit from education that she takes extra lessons in computers and typing over the weekend.

The question for human rights activists, who have monitored Guatemala's tortuous recovery from war, is whether the new anti-impunity commission can end the culture of impunity that has undermined the efforts of ADIVIMA and others.

Right-wing parties voted against the commission in Congress and this - coupled with opposition in the communities - has raised fears that the commission will have to rely on the international community for resources and leadership. If so, it could be difficult for the Rio Negro survivors, who still blame the World Bank for having helped to cause the massacre and for refusing to offer them compensation.

From:http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/152682/1/