On April 8, the Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project noted in its most recent Monthly Information Package both the strengthening and continuation of the telephone accompaniment of human rights defenders.

PBI-Guatemala highlights: “The PBI team remains present in the country and has adapted its work according to the restrictions declared by the Guatemalan government in response to the COVID19 pandemic.”

PBI-Guatemala reports:

Due to the elevated number of security incidents the members of the Community Council of the Highlands (CCDA) – Las Verapaces Region, we continue to monitor the situation of its members closely. To do this, we have strengthened telephone contact with their coordinators.

As part of our accompaniment of the Union of Peasant Organizations (UVOC), this month we maintained contact with their members over the telephone, particularly when the farmers are traveling between the lands where they are producing their agricultural products, despite the difficulties in getting their products to the markets due to the paralysis of local transport.

We continued to monitor the worrying security situation of the New Day Chorti Campesino Central Coordinator (CCCND) closely throughout the month due to the numerous security incidents they continue to experience. We maintained regular telephone contact and met with the organization’s coordination as well as with community leaders.

We continue to monitor the situation of the Peaceful Resistance of La Puya (municipalities of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc) through weekly calls to the members of the resistance.

Regarding our accompaniment of the Peaceful Resistance of La Laguna, in San Pedro Ayampuc, we monitored their member’s security situation through calls.

We continued to monitor the situation of the Peaceful Resistance Cahabón (Alta Verapaz), through periodic calls to its members. Currently, the Resistance has had to suspend its meetings and activities due to the measures implemented by the Government which included a declaration of a State of Public Calamity in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

PBI-Guatemala’s “Monthly Information Package details the activities of PBI every month including a short summary of relevant events regarding the human rights situation. It explains the accompaniment work realized by the volunteer team and lists all meetings with national authorities and the diplomatic corp.”

The monthly information packages are available on the PBI-Guatemala website here.