Indigenous Guatemalans Lead Anti-Corruption Protests

Aug 02, 2021

Dear Readers,

On July 29, between hundreds and thousands of Guatemalans showed that they wanted their President, Alejandro Giammattei, and the Attorney General Consuelo Porras, out. The dismissal of Juan Francisco Sandoval as chief of the Special Prosecutor Against Impunity (FECI) was the last straw in a row of corruption allegations, mismanagement of COVID-19, increasing prices for basic foods and poor response to last year's Eta and Iota storms.

The difference with previous protests is that this one was convened and led by Indigenous authorities. Protests occurred in at least 50 points in the country, in the capital and in rural areas.

On top of these demands, Indigenous groups also pushed for a profound State reform to implement a Plurinational State project, intended to give more political power to Indigenous people.

August marks Black History Month in El Salvador and Costa Rica, so we'll be sure to highlight it throughout August. In this newsletter, you'll also find Olympics news, think pieces and literature recommendations! Have a great read.

Salú,

Melissa

Ancestral authorities of the various indigenous peoples stop in front of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), to express their rejection of the magistrates, because they are also part of the corruption, they said. Credits: Francisco Simón F. and Andrea Rodríguez

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Headlines

Migration

📰 Detention Facilities: A whistleblower informed Congress and watchdogs that children detained in the Fort Bliss facility experienced “depression and filthy conditions.”// According to a report, a detained migrant mother gave birth in her pants and was forced to sleep on a bench with her newborn.

📰 Texas: The U.S. Justice Department is suing the state of Texas for the executive order made by Texas Governor Greg Abbott prohibiting the transport of migrants.

📰 Deportation Flights: The Biden Administration resumed fast-track deportation flights but had to halt some flights after migrants tested positive for COVID-19.

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Belize

📰 Gender-based Violence: Belize's National Women's Commission (NWC) conducted an evaluation of the country's gender-based violence. They are seeking to create policy for comprehensive responses to such violence.

📰 Barrow and Diddy: Leader of the opposition, aspiring Prime Minister, and ex-rapper Shyne Barrow talked to famous rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs about his desire to pursue a career in politics in Belize.

📰 COVID-19: The Government of Belize is considering lifting some restrictions on the vaccinated population in response to the frustrations some are expressing. // The Mayor of Belize City has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation. This has come amid a spike of cases in the country's Old Capital city.

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Costa Rica

📰 Banning Oil: President Carlos Alvarado’s office is promoting a bill in the country’s legislature to prohibit oil and natural gas exploitation in the country. Currently, oil and gas exploration is banned by presidential decree until 2050. If passed, the law would make the ban permanent.

📰 Vaccinations: More vaccines are arriving as the country accelerates vaccinations for people aged 20 and older. In July, the country received more than 1.4 million doses. As of July 26, 45% of Costa Ricans have received at least one dose of a vaccine. // The president’s office also announced that it will vaccinate undocumented residents.

📰 Flood Victims: More than 3,000 people were evacuated from their homes and given shelter after storms in the Caribbean flooded the east and north regions of the country. President Carlos Alvarado and several ministers plan to inspect the shelters on Monday, Aug. 2.

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El Salvador

📰 #30DeJulioNuncaMás: July 30 marked the 46th anniversary of the student massacre at the University of El Salvador in 1975. As a way to honor the victims, a march was organized where students and workers also protested against President Nayib Bukele.

📰 Corruption: 10 former FMLN officials are provisionally detained in connection to money laundering during President Mauricio Funes’ administration from 2009 to 2014. CISPES and FMLN sympathizers have called for their release. Former President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, one of the officials charged, was soon after granted nationalization in Nicaragua. // Critics point out that no investigations have been conducted for officials accused of corruption in the recently released Engel List, but instead a "political persecution" has been launched.

📰 Surveillance: Gustavo Villatoro, the Minister of Security and Justice, revealed last week that the government monitors the population’s social media networks as a way to combat criminality. Villatoro also mentioned that they are currently developing “digital patrols”.

📰 COVID-19: Delta variant of COVID-19 arrived in El Salvador, as confirmed by the Health Ministry. // El Salvador is expected to receive 1 million COVID-19 vaccines from Chinese company Sinopharm. // Children over the age of 12 are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Guatemala

📰 #ParoPlurinacional: Hundreds mobilized on #ParoPlurinacional on July 29, the Indigenous-led national strike to demand the resignation of Consuelo Porras and President Giammattei after Juan Francisco Sandoval’s dismissal last week as chief of the Special Prosecutor Against Impunity (FECI). Several countries and international organizations have shared their disapproval of Sandoval’s removal as it endangers hundreds of cases investigated by the FECI, causing a severe blow to Guatemala’s anti-corruption efforts. The U.S. suspended cooperation with Guatemala's Public Ministry, an act President Giammattei called “counterproductive”. // The Supreme Court of Justice is processing an injunction filed by Winaq, URNG-Maíz, and Bancada Semilla deputies. On July 30, it granted the Public Ministry 48 hours to provide a report on the dismissal of Sandoval.

📰 Attack on Journalist: Journalist Pedro Alfonso Guadrón Hernández was killed by an attack by unknown armed men on July 30. Guadrón Hernández had founded the Concepción Las Minas Mi Tierra News page where he published local and regional news. He had previously filed complaints with the National Civil Police in regards to threats.

📰 COVID-19: 3,394 new positive cases were reported in the latest data from the Ministry of Health which increases the total current active cases in the country to 35,916. // Guatemala canceled the order for Russian vaccines due to a delivery delay of a previous order.

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Honduras

📰COVID-19: The Government of Honduras has launched the “Vacunatón” program, which consists of vaccinating as many people as possible, with doses that have mostly been donated. Many people have accused the government of politicizing the vaccines in favor of the ruling party, as elections are nearing in November.

📰 Political Violence: Carolina Echeverria, a former Congresswoman who was running for re-election for the Liberal Party for the department of Gracias a Dios, was murdered in her home. Political violence has escalated despite the pandemic, the National Violence Observatory indicates.

📰 Education: The Secretariat of Education announced a return to a hybrid system of in-person classes and online classes for mid-August. 154 municipalities are awaiting to be approved by the national risk management system to begin in-person classes in late August.

📰 ZEDEs: The National Movement against the ZEDEs and for National Sovereignty presented an initiative to repeal the Organic Law of the Employment and Economic Development Zones (ZEDEs). This is the second citizen-led initiative sent to the National Congress on ZEDEs.

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Nicaragua

📰 COVID-19: Deputies of ruling party FSLN cancelled the legal status of 24 NGOs, including 15 medical organizations that criticized the government's response to the pandemic. The Health Ministry forbade doctors and NGO’s to share reports on COVID-19's situation, with the threat of cancelling their medical license, legal charges or closing more NGO’s. // Nicaragua obtained the cold chain for the Pfizer vaccine. In the coming weeks, 200,000 doses will arrive.

📰 Salvadorans in Nicaragua: Ex Salvadoran President, Sánchez Cerén, was granted Nicaraguan citizenship while facing charges of corruption in his home country and without two years of residence in Nicaragua. He is the second Salvadoran president living in Nicaragua, following Mauricio Funes.

📰 Repression: Police detained former chancellor Francisco Sacasa and human rights lawyer Maria Oviedo on charges of “treason”. // The EU heeded mounting calls to extend sanctions to Ortega's allies, adding 8 officials from the judiciary, police, legislative and family. // President Ortega accused the Catholic Church of "blessing" terrorists and coup plotters; Monsignor Brenes replied that the church is prepared for attacks "as we did in the 1980s."

📰 Economy: Private sector expects positive closure, even with an unresolved political crisis, but fear uncertainty in 2022.

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Panama

📰 Food: A statement made by the Ministry of Environment announced that the country’s agriculture is in a vulnerable state. Overall, the lack of understanding of the land, unsustainable agricultural practices, and climate change affect food production and increase the risk of spreading diseases.

📰 COVID-19: Panama reported 10 to 15 new COVID-19 deaths between Saturday and Sunday. Quarantine curfews continue to be in effect for the entire country.

📰 Colombia & Panama: The President of Colombia, Iván Duque, announced in an interview his desire to work with the Panamanian government to "solve the movement of migration" between Colombia and Panama.

Afrodescendance in El Salvador and Costa Rica

AFROOS Director, Ana Yency Lemus, writes about why we need a day of the Afrodescendant Woman, on July 25, in Gato Encerrado.

Lemus writes: "El Salvador is the most racist country in Central America by not recognizing the Afro-descendant population and by not providing the necessary and dignified conditions for Afro-Salvadoran women."

And August marks the celebration of Black History Month in El Salvador and Costa Rica! Check out Danielle Parada's work. ⬇️

Good Reads

📌Root Causes: In Guatemala and El Salvador, civil war-era crimes are a ‘root cause’ of today’s impunity. (World Politics Review)

📌 Literature: Mundo Chapin recommends six Indigenous authors from Guatemala. (Mundo Chapin)

📌 Think piece: A joint op-ed by both a scholar and activist propose that apart from abolitionist demands to eliminate prisons and militarism, movements must also fight using an anti-imperialist and feminist analysis. (TruthOut).

📌 Indigenous knowledge: Scientific and Indigenous advocacy organizations propose that experts must document the practices and knowledge of Indigenous groups to develop sustainable food chains (FILAC).

📌Bukele's Brand: Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele has built a reputation in Central America, expanding his brand and building a following across the region. (El Pais)

"From Agent to Activist"

AJ+ @ajplus

"I felt like a f*cking Nazi." This former Border Patrol agent says she hunted migrants. Now she's speaking out. (with @Dena)

Olympics

Luis Carlos Martínez (Guatemala) became the first male swimmer in Central America to reach an Olympic final, ranking 7th in the 100-meter butterfly final of the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Luis Carlos Martínez (Guatemala), Tokyo 2020. Source: Prensa Libre.

More Olympics News

✨Badminton: Guatemalan Kevin Cordón won his fourth consecutive victory and became the first Central American to reach the semifinals in Badminton. He still has a shot for the bronze.

✨Athletics: Panamanian Gianna Woodruff will be in the semifinals of the women's 400m hurdles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

✨Remembering “The Queen of La Bocana”: Katherine Diaz, the Salvadoran surfer who died back in March after being struck by lightning while training for the Olympics, was celebrated last week on what would’ve been her 23rd birthday. Family and friends, including two surfers currently competing in this year’s Olympics, commemorated her on social media. (El diario de hoy)

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