Stories about Guatemala
Portraits of ‘Children Who Have Children’ in Guatemala
Swedish photographer and journalist Linda Forsell has just started a Tumblr blog where she will be sharing her project “about young girls that have been sexually abused and have babies as a result of it.” Forsell explains: Through a strong photographic depiction following the lives of a few of the...
This Weekend at Developing Latin America 2013 Apps Challenge (Part I)
This past weekend has been very productive for the Developing Latin America Apps Challenge. Here we bring you a brief summary of what happened in some of the participating countries.
“Development For Who?” Guatemalans Resist Hydroelectric Project
“Development for who? Will the money stay in the community? No, it goes to fill others’ pockets, and we will continue to live in poverty. What we’re asking now is for the government to cancel all the [mining and hydroelectric] licenses that have been granted.” In Upside Down World, Kelsey...
Developing Latin America 2013: An ‘Apps Challenge’ for Social Impact
This year Developing Latin America goes from being a Hackathon to an Apps Challenge, an event to think of better ideas, obtain more concrete solutions, and achieve more sustainable applications.
Latin America: “Where do the Disappeared go?”
The internet is a source of innumerable initiatives and stories that remember the disappeared and fight against impunity.
Indigenous Demand Investigation into Massacre at Nacahuil, Guatemala
Gunmen killed 11 people and wounded 28 more over the weekend in a village near Guatemala City, where indigenous communities struggle to preserve their territory free from mining and militarization.
Derailment of ‘La Bestia’, Another Tragedy in a Broken Immigration System
Levi Bridges reflects on immigration reform and the latest derailment of 'la bestia', a Mexican train that offers migrants an alternative way of reaching the U.S.
Wave of Violence Against Guatemalan Journalists
Guatemalan journalists Carlos Alberto Orellana Chávez was gunned down on Monday, August 19, 2013; he is the fourth journalist killed in Guatemala this year. In an opinion piece [es] published in Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre, UN's special rapporteur for freedom of expression Frank La Rue denounced “the recent wave of...
Guatemalan Indigenous People Hold Peaceful Protests
As part of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Guatemalan indigenous people held peaceful protests around the country to demand that their rights be respected. Cultural Survival reported on the peaceful protests which were held on August 9, 2013: The general sentiment of the protests as sited by...
Efraín Ríos Montt Found Guilty of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
Guatemalan de facto dictator Efraín Ríos Montt was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. The 86-year-old former General was sentenced to 80 years in prison. This landmark verdict sets a precedent for current conflicts around the world.
Rios Montt Testifies in Genocide Trial
On the 26th day of the historic Genocide trial against former de facto head of state Efrain Rios Montt and his Head of Intelligence Jose Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez, the prosecution and defense gave their closing statements and the main accused, Rios Montt, finally declared. James Rodriguez shares a photo essay...
#FLISOL 2013: Hundreds of Latin Americans Installing Free Software
From the Patagonia to Havana, hundreds of computer users across Latin America are choosing freedom over control by installing free software on their computers. On April 27th, groups of free software enthusiasts will be installing free software in dozens of cities across Latin America as part of FLISOL [es], the...
Nobel Laureates: On with Ríos Montt Trial
“If this case does not move forward, survivors of Guatemala’s genocide are being victimized all over again,” says Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams, co-founder of the Nobel Women’s Initiative. “They have taken a huge risk in testifying, and many have been harassed, intimidated and threatened. To annul the case would...
Guatemala's Genocide Trial Declared Invalid
After a turbulent week in the trial proceedings against former de facto dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and former Intelligence Director José Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez in Guatemala, a lower court declared all proceedings invalid and reversed the criminal trial to the preliminary stage.
Al Jazeera: Amplifying (Global Voices) Women's Voices
Global Voices women rose to the challenge when Al Jazeera's Opinion editor announced he wished to flip the gender ratio that typically rules in the media, publishing 80/20 in favor of women throughout the month of March.
Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala
Alfombras (carpets), processions, and floats –AntiguaDailyPhoto shares a series of photo posts on Holy Week traditions in Antigua, Guatemala.
String of Killings Leaves Five Guatemalan Activists Dead
Although Guatemala is taking a giant step towards justice by prosecuting former dictator Efraín Rios Montt for genocide, problems with violence and impunity continue unresolved. In less than one month, five indigenous and social leaders have been kidnapped and murdered by gangs of armed men in different regions of rural Guatemala.
Photos: Day One in Trial of Former Guatemalan Dictator
Documentary photographer James Rodriguez shares a photo essay with “images from the first day of the historic trial against former de facto dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and former Intelligence Director José Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez. Ríos Montt and Rodriguez Sanchez are charged with Genocide and crimes against humanity during the civil war...
Former Guatemalan Dictator On Trial
Rios Montt's lawyer and others believe that the trial is a “political lynching” […] It doesn't matter if the guerrilas were going to turn “Guatemala into another Cuba;” the rape, torture, starvation and murder of civilians who might or might not have supported the guerrillas is just indefensible. But Rios Montt now...
Guatemala: Audience on Genocide Case
From Guatemala, blog Coordinación Genocidio nunca más [es] urges citizens to attend the historical court audience, where José Efraín Ríos Montt and José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez face trail for abuses against human rights during military rule in that country.