Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. The Guatemalan penal system reflects the discrimination denounced by the "Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples" signed in Mexico in 1995: "In order to overcome the historical discrimination against Indigenous peoples, the cooperation of all citizens is required to transform mentalities, attitudes and behaviour. Structural racism has further manifested itself in the failure to include Indigenous therapies and healers in prevention and treatment programmes. Guatemala is home to more than 24 ethnic groups, the majority of which are of Mayan descent. For the years that followed, Guatemala was governed by military officers and violence against citizens and guerrillas continued to escalate. Although the indigenous in Guatemala are creating their own solutions, using traditional knowledge and practices to contain COVID-19, the Guatemalan government must treat its indigenous population equally and include those who have been historically excluded by implementing strategies and operations to prevent and contain COVID-19 as well as Indigenous People Could Lead the Way. Posted in Guatemala. He was also a great promoter of environmental protection through the creation of the Bioitza Indigenous Community Reserve.[12]. The Progressive Inc. publishes The Progressive magazine plus Progressive.org and Public Schools Advocate. [8], In the midst of the pandemic, in an act not seen since the end of the civil war, the President of the Republic, Alejandro Gammattei, publicly humiliated the Indigenous mayor of the Kaqchikel people of Comalapa, Chimaltenango. The State has always been absent, Alejandra Colom, an anthropology professor at the Guatemalan Del Valle University, tells The Progressive. The use, management, and conservation of water are not officially regulated, andseveral private companies take advantage of this by not paying for their water usage, nor contributing to water conservation, and without assumingany responsibility for pollution caused by discharges of waste. "Sadly, this is not an isolated case; too often in Guatemala those who defend land and the environment are considered criminals.". Background At the time of this study, only one English-language paper (Duffy, 2008) was found on the causes of IPV in Guatemala.Duffy (2008) identifies alcohol consumption, poverty, traditional female gender norms, and a lack of access to education as contributing to . The experts also expressed concerns that Mr. Caal Xl's health has deteriorated since he was imprisoned in 2018. More recent reforms to the Guatemalan Penal Code (such as the Law against Sexual Violence, Exploitation and Human Trafficking in 2009, and in 2017 the banning of marriage of minors, without exceptions) have represented important advances in the recognition of the rights of women, young women and girls. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) emphasises that these events targeted people who were defending Indigenous Peoples rights. [4] Memorial de Solol Anales de los Cakchiqueles. Direct translation from the original and notes by Adrin Recinos. In places like Santiago Atitlan and Santa Maria, Spanish isn't widely spoken, and many people are illiterate, without a television or computer, which is how the government was disseminating health information. This is not the first time. Guatemala City: On July 23, 2021 the International Indian Treaty Council will participate in the opening event for two offices in Guatemala, hosted by the Mayan Kaqchikel University in Santo Domingo Xenacoj in the department of Sacatepquez. The genocide continues today. More and more people do not even consider staying. These bad conditions have become even worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite representing more than half of the population and participating actively in the countrys economy, their political participation is not equitably reflected. Since the Spanish conquest in 1524, Guatemalas indigenous community has continually fought to maintain and to win back their territory. The . Read the full text about the countries in the newest version of The Indigenous World. These elements need to be addressed in order to tackle the social determinants of health. A newly unsealed federal criminal indictment also describes how MS-13 gang leaders negotiated with El Salvador's top jailer, Osiris Luna Meza, who now oversees Nayib Bukele's new mega-prison. . . #Standup4humanrights The site is secure. The Guatemalan Spring, which began in 1944 and ended with the CIA-backed coup against President Jacobo rbenz in 1954, was only a brief point of hope for the country. They don't receive appropriate service in this specific situation, especially now. Engaging Indigenous People as meaningful partners in development enhances their ability to promote their rights, determine their own priorities, and advance their self-reliance. Guatemalas indigenous community does not receive the same opportunities as non-indigenous people have. We need to fight against the lack of recognition of indigenous peoples in Guatemala, as well as to protect and conserve our natural resources, which are so important to our way of life. Indigenous people continue to lag behind Guatemalan society as a whole in terms of health, education, employment and income, a situation that is worse for Indigenous women. Editorial Piedra Santa. Samuc blames a lack of leadership for the COVID crisis in Indigenous communities like Santiago, beginning with Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei and the three health ministers he's appointed in less than two years. Guatemala placed 19th among the 22 countries of the region evaluated. In addition, many of the lockdown measures were not evenly implemented. GUATEMALA 2021 Increased criminalization was used as a strategy to intimidate those working in the administration of justice. President Giammattei has appointed three woman ministers to his cabinet. USAID encourages Indigenous Peoples participation throughout the design and implementation of programs within Guatemala to ensure that all activities consider Indigenous Peoples development priorities. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The UN Human Rights Office and the mechanisms we support work on a wide range of human rights topics. Niegan el ingreso al alcalde de Carcha a reunin con el presidente Alejandro Giammattei. [Carcha Mayor denied entry to meeting with President Alejandro Giammattei] Prensa Libre, 7 November 2020. https://www.prensalibre.com/ciudades/alta-verapaz/niegan-ingreso-a-alcalde-de-carcha-a-reunion-con-el-presidente-alejandro-giammattei/, [11] Bono familia: negocio para algunos, falsa expectativa para otros. [Family voucher: business for some, false expectations for others] Perspectiva, 22 July 2020. https://www.perspectiva.gt/noticias/bono-familia-negocio-para-algunos-falsa-expectativa-para-otros/, [12] Reginaldo Chayax Huex. The New York Times, 11 October 2020. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=reginaldo-chayax-huex&pid=196929391, [13] Un incendio premeditado y gases lacrimgenos esperaban a una manifestacin pacfica. [Arson and tear gas awaited peaceful demonstration] El Peridico, 22 November 2020. https://elperiodico.com.gt/nacionales/2020/11/22/un-incendio-premeditado-y-gases-lacrimogenos-esperaban-a-una-manifestacion-pacifica/, [14]Pueblos indgenas denuncian abuso de autoridad por parte del gobierno actual. [Indigenous Peoples denounce governments abuse of authority] El Peridico, 24 November 2020. https://elperiodico.com.gt/nacionales/2020/11/24/pueblos-indigenas-denuncian-abuso-de-autoridad-por-parte-del-gobierno-actual/, [15] Barrientos Castaeda, Miguel, Tragedia en Quej, San Cristobal Verapaz: suspenden bsqueda por ETA. [Tragedy in Quej, San Cristobal Verapaz: search suspended by Eta] Prensa Libre, 10 November 2020. https://www.prensalibre.com/ciudades/alta-verapaz/tragedia-en-queja-san-cristobal-verapaz-suspenden-busqueda-de-victimas-por-eta/, [16] Oliva, William. It is a clear manifestation of epistemic inequality in which Indigenous knowledge is underestimated for its supposed lack of scientific rigour or is cancelled completely because it goes against the beliefs of the dominant religions. MARTIN: Again, anthropologist Velasquez Nimantuj. Although the official health services do not acknowledge that Indigenous medicine is capable of preventing or treating COVID-19, Indigenous Peoples continue to rely on their own therapies. This research was part of a . An official website of the United States government. Poverty and chronic malnutrition rates rise to nearly80 percentin largely indigenous areas, where public spending and access to social services is half that of non-indigenous areas. Indigenous peoples are not important to them. All countries featured on our website can be found in the Indigenous World - IWGIA's global report on the rights of indigenous peoples. A short author biography is also included.Adapted for ages 4-6.Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for grades K-1 in the areas of English Language Arts and Social Studies.This book is available in French: Le chandail orange de PhyllisAdditional Information30 pages | 9.00 [13] The government suppressed these protests, resulting in deaths, injuries and arrests. October 11, 2021, 3:07 PM. The World Bank aims to promote indigenous peoples' development in a manner which ensures that the development process fosters full respect for the dignity, human rights, and uniqueness of indigenous peoples. Posted in Guatemala. But just don't ask the government to invest one filthy cent on that population. Background Health inequalities disproportionally affect indigenous people in Guatemala. Even more than its predecessors, the new government has shown a lack of interest in Indigenous issues, taking the structural racism that persists in Guatemalan society to new levels not seen since the signing of the Peace Accords (1996). The Indigenous population has suffered from the institutionalization of racial discrimination, exclusion, and violence from the State in various forms.. The pandemic did not stop the Indigenous struggle for recognition of their fundamental rights, although criminalisation of land and territorial defenders also increased. Guatemala recorded the lowest percentage of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in Latin America amid corruption allegations. As a result, the minister of health announced that door-to-door vaccination campaigns were being suspended. 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