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Guatemalan Human Rights Defender Attacked

Guillermo Chen is the Director of Fundación Nueva Esperanza (New Hope Foundation), an organization that works to promote justice for the victims and survivors of the mass atrocities that took place during the Guatemalan civil war (1960 – 1996).

Since 2003, AJWS has supported New Hope Foundation’s bilingual primary education program for children and youth in Rabinal. In addition to grant-making, AJWS has worked with the organization to foster North-South dialogue and solidarity by building connections between Jewish university students and youth in Rabinal through service delegations.

On March 5, 2008, at approximately 9:00 p.m., two unknown attackers fired six shots into Guillermo Chen’s home while he and his family were inside. This attack is clearly an act of intimidation, directly toward Guillermo Chen and his family, and indirectly toward all people in Rabinal who are working for justice for the acts of genocide committed against their communities.

Please join AJWS in calling on the Guatemalan authorities to take immediate measures to guarantee the safety of Guillermo Chen and his family and to conduct a swift and thorough investigation about this incident.

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

I am a friend of American Jewish World Service, an international development organization that supports the work of Fundaci�n Nueva Esperanza (New Hope Foundation) in Guatemla. I am writing today to express my concern for the safety of Guillermo Chen, the Director of Fundaci�n Nueva Esperanza, his wife and their two children.

Fundaci�n Nueva Esperanza works to promote justice for and provide education and other services to victims and survivors of the mass atrocities that took place during the Guatemalan civil war. This work includes encouraging survivors of massacres and other community members to provide evidence to courts in Spain and Guatemala which are investigating mass atrocities committed in Rio Negro during the war.

On March 5, 2008, at approximately 9:00 p.m. two unknown attackers fired six shots into Guillermo Chen's home while he and his family were inside. On the same day that Mr. Chen's house was fired upon, survivors working with his organization testified at court hearings in Madrid about the massacres that killed hundreds of people in the Rio Negro during the civil war. I believe this attack is clearly an act of intimidation, directly toward Guillermo Chen and his family, and indirectly toward all people in Rabinal who are working for justice for the acts of genocide committed against their communities.

I urge the government of Guatemala to take immediate measures to guarantee the safety of Guillermo Chen and his family and call on Prosecutor General Juan Luis Florido and the Public Ministry to conduct a thorough and swift investigation of this incident. The results must be made public and those responsible brought to justice.

Human rights defenders have the freedom to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Institutions to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

We must break the cycle of impunity in Guatemala by bringing those responsible for this attack to justice.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Take Action on this Issue

Send this message to:

Sr. Carlos Vinicio Gomez Ruiz, Ministro de Gobernacion
cc: Ambassador Francisco Villagr�n de Le�n, Embassy of Guatemala
cc: Dr. Sergio Fernando Morales Alvarado, Human Rights Ombudsman
cc: Lic. Juan Luis Florido, Fiscal General de la Republica y Jefe del Ministerio Publico

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