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Situation of Human Rights in Guatemala 2017

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OEA/Ser.L/V/II. Doc. 208/17 31 December 2017 Original: Spanish INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Situation of Human Rights in Guatemala 2017 iachr.org OAS Cataloging-in-Publication Data Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Situation of Human Rights in Guatemala : Country report : Approved by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on December 31, 2017. v. ; cm. (OAS. Official records ; OEA/Ser.L/V/II) ISBN XXX-0-XXXX-XXXX-X 1. Human rights--Guatemala 2. Civil rights--Guatemala. 4. Rule of law-- Guatemala. I. Title. II. Title: Sixth report on the human rights situation in Guatemala. III. Series. OEA/Ser.L/V/II. Doc.208/17 . INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Members Francisco José Eguiguren Praeli Margarette May Macaulay Esmeralda Arosemena Bernal de Troitiño José de Jesús Orozco Henríquez Paulo Vannuchi James L. Cavallaro Luis Ernesto Vargas Silva Executive Secretary Paulo Abrão Assistant Executive Secretary for Cases, Petitions, and Precautionary Measures Elizabeth Abi-Mershed Assistant Executive Secretary for Monitoring, Promotion, and Technical Cooperation in Human Rights María Claudia Pulido Approved by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on December 31, 2017. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9 CHAPTER 1 | INTRODUCTION 17 A. The Legacy of the Armed Conflict 25 B. Poverty, Inequality, and Exclusion 26 CHAPTER 2 | ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE 37 A. Access to justice and impunity 37 B. The requirements of independence and impartiality: The Public Prosecution Service and judicial reforms 47 C. Access to Justice for Different Groups 53 1. Women 53 2. Indigenous Peoples 58 3. Children and Adolescents 63 4. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Persons (LGBTI) 66 5. People of African Descent 68 D. Transitional justice and reparations to victims of the internal armed conflict 69 CHAPTER 3 | SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND JUSTICE OPERATORS 81 A. Human Rights Defenders 81 1. Intimidation, Threats, Attacks and Murders 83 2. Stigmatization and Smear Campaigns 85 3. Criminalization 90 a) Measures Adopted by the State: Protection Mechanism 96 B. Justice Operators 101 1. Acts Limiting or Hampering Performance of their Work 102 CHAPTER 4 | INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, MIGRANTS, ASYLUM-SEEKERS, REFUGEES, AND VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN GUATEMALA 109 A. Internal Displacement 110 B. Forced Evictions 112 C. International Migration: Migrants, Asylum-Seekers and Refugees 122 D. Returned or Deported Migrants 126 E. Human Trafficking 127 CHAPTER 5 | SITUATION OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION 133 A. Situation of journalists and attacks to freedom of expression 133 1. Murders of Journalists and Reporters, and Impunity for these Crimes 135 2. Threats, Arrests, Harassment, and Attacks on Journalists and Media Outlets 140 3. Censorship 144 4. Program for the Protection of Journalists and Media Workers 145 B. Situation of broadcasting 150 1. Community Broadcasting 150 2. Improper concentration of media ownership 155 3. Government Advertising 158 C. Excesive Use of Force at Social Protests 161 D. Access to Public Information 168 CHAPTER 6 | CITIZEN SECURITY 173 A. General Situation of Violence: Types, Areas of Highest Concentration, Actors Involved 173 1. Homicides and other violent deaths 173 2. Other Types of Violence and Insecurity 176 3. State’s Response 178 B. Effects on Particular Groups and Effectiveness of State Policies 182 1. Women 182 2. Children and Adolescents 185 3. Indigenous Peoples 189 4. LGBTI Persons 191 C. Death Penalty 193 CHAPTER 7 | SITUATION OF PERSONS UNDER STATE CUSTODY 199 A. Persons Deprived of Liberty 199 1. Overcrowding and excessive use of pre-trial detention 200 a) General considerations 200 b) Major challenges to reducing pretrial detention 202 c) Alternative measures to pretrial detention 207 2. Conditions of Detention 210 3. Acts of Violence Occurring at Prison Facilities 213 4. Depravation of Liberty at Police Stations and on Military Bases 214 5. Imposition of Fines for Money Laundering Convictions 216 B. Adolescent Care and Detention Facilities 217 C. Persons with Disabilities at mental Health Institutions 229 1. General considerations 229 2. Conditions of Detention 230 3. Indefinite Institutionalization because of a Lack of Community Services 234 CHAPTER 8 | CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 241 A. General Recommendations 242 B. Recommendations regarding administration of justice 242 C. Recommendations regarding Transitional Justice and Reparation to Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict 243 D. Recommendations regarding the Situation of Citizen Security 243 E. Recommendations regarding Specific Segments of the Population 244 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary | 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This report addresses the human rights situation of Guatemala, and provides recommendations aimed at assisting the State of Guatemala in strengthening its efforts to protect and guarantee human rights in the country. 2. The Interamerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR, Commission) conducted an on-site visit to Guatemala from July 31 to August 4, 2017, for the purpose of observing on the ground the human rights situation in the country. The Commission is grateful to President Jimmy Morales and his Government for the invitation to conduct his visit, and for all the logistical assistance provided in order to complete the visit satisfactorily. 3. The IACHR has followed with special attention the situation of human rights in Guatemala since its early years of operation, particularly in response to the serious violations of human rights perpetrated during the internal armed conflict that took place between 1960 and 1996. The information received consistently by the Commission during the visit indicates that, fundamentally, more than twenty years after the signing of the Peace Accords, several of the reasons that generated the internal armed conflict persist: an economy based on the concentration of economic power in few hands persists, a weak State structure, with few resources due to scarce fiscal collection and high levels of corruption. Structural problems also persist, such as racial discrimination, social inequality, entrenched poverty and exclusion, and lack of access to justice, which constitute an obstacle to full respect for human rights in Guatemala. In addition, the IACHR received repeated information about the persistence of parallel power structures that prevent the fight against impunity, corruption and the consolidation of the rule of law. 4. The socioeconomic situation in Guatemala is still characterized by poverty, racism, exclusion, violence and impunity. As an example, the extreme poverty rate is three times higher among the indigenous population than among the non-indigenous population. Guatemala has become the country most affected by chronic malnutrition in Latin America, and is one of the countries with the highest rates of chronic malnutrition worldwide. This dire situation is framed in a weak State structure, institutions with Inter-American Commission on Human Rights | IACHR 10 | Situation of Human Righsts in Guatemala insufficient resources, and a persistent problem of corruption and high levels of violence. The low levels of tax collection in Guatemala hinders the State’s ability to provide basic public services and adopt public policies that guarantee the rights of the most resource-strapped sectors. 5. During the on site visit, the IACHR noted that the problem of impunity derives from the lack of capacity of the Guatemalan State to provide an adequate and efficient system of administration of justice, and an independent and impartial justice in cases from the past as well as the present. Historically marginalized sectors of the population, such as women, indigenous peoples and communities, children and adolescents, LGBTI persons and afrodescendants, among others, face particular obstacles that limit their effective access to justice. 6. In relation to the cases arising from the internal armed conflict, progress has been made in some cases, but they are limited compared to the number of human rights violations perpetrated during the conflict and the obligations of the State to protect the rights to truth, justice and reparation for the victims. During the visit, the Commission was informed of the abusive use of amparo proceedings as a delaying strategy in some criminal proceedings, requests for amnesty and prescription, as delaying tactics to protect the accused. Also, some justice operators who are aware of these matters are subject to constant threats, intimidation, and even criminal complaints levied against them. 7. The Commission notes that the Guatemalan State has made progress in the fight against impunity in recent years, thanks to the work of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), which together with the Public Prosecutor's Office has played a key role in the fight against corruption and impunity in the country. The contribution of CICIG has been significant, both in its research work and in support of training and promotion of legal reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of the administration of justice. These advances have come with reports, even from the highest levels of the State, on pressures directed to the CICIG Commissioner, Iván Velásquez, as well as Attorney General, Thelma Aldana. After the visit, events took place in the country that unleashed institutional instability. The IACHR highlights the declaration of persona non grata as to Iván Velásquez, issued by the President of Guatemala, as well as the
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