At least 126 human rights defenders were murdered in the Americas in 2023, according to a statement published Tuesday by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR). The IACHR stated that this high violence rate was directed toward land and environment defenders, leaders of indigenous communities and leaders of communities of African descent. In the [...]
Search Results for: guatemala
EU imposes sanctions on Guatemala officials for role in attempted coup
The European Union (EU) on Friday imposed sanctions against five individuals from Guatemala that “undermine democracy, the rule of law or the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala” according to a press release by the Council of the EU. The Friday sanctions followed a January 12 Council decision, purported to freeze assets of those who [...]
Global fight against corruption weakens as rule of law declines: report
Governments around the world are struggling to fight corruption, according to a Transparency International (TI) report published Tuesday. The report, known as the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The scores range from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). In 2023, the CPI global [...]
New president of Guatemala formally inaugurated after failed weekend coup d’état
Guatemala’s new president, Bernardo Arévalo, was inaugurated and sworn into office Monday after an initial ceremony on Sunday was interrupted by what international observers called an “orchestrated coup d’état.” In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) in Spanish just hours before Monday’s rescheduled ceremony, Arévalo said the nation will now move forward. “With you [...]
US bars Guatemala prosecutors and judge from obtaining visas amid election dispute
The US on Thursday added to its list of individuals barred from obtaining US visas three Guatemalan prosecutors and a judge who had been actively pursuing Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arevalo on corruption charges. Arevalo’s rise to the presidency and campaign on anti-corruption have faced numerous challenges, including attempts to obstruct his upcoming inauguration on January [...]
UN General Assembly calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza
The UN General Assembly voted on Tuesday in favor of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution was passed by 153 votes in favor, 10 against and 23 abstaining from the vote. Despite the increasing international pressure, the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has entered its third month. The General Assembly met Tuesday [...]
The UN ‘Humanitarian Pause’ Resolution for the Israel-Hamas Conflict: Beacon of Hope or Dead End?
Editors’ note: Amid surging violence between Hamas and Israeli forces, JURIST is seeking perspectives from law students, law professors and lawyers around the world. Neither this nor other commentaries constitute JURIST editorial policy, nor do they necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial team. On Friday, October 27, at its tenth emergency special session, the [...]
Hackers disable Guatemala government webpages in support of indigenous-led demonstrations
Hackers from the group Anonymous disabled multiple Guatemalan government webpages, including the judicial branch, department of Agriculture, the Prosecutors Office and the General Secretary’s page. Some pages remained down for hours and then reloaded. The group announced on social media that on October 14th they would “attack” the Government of Guatemala and used the hashtag “Free [...]
Organization of American States denounces raids by Guatemala prosecutors against President-elect
The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) held a special meeting Wednesday to discuss the turmoil surrounding the presidential political transition in Guatemala. Cesar Bernardo Arevalo de Leon, the president-elect, won the election in August in a landslide victory. Despite Arevalo’s apparent victory, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has been raided four [...]
Guatemala protests ensue after prosecutor raids electoral authority, seizes ballots
Guatemala faced political demonstrations and protests Monday after the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), the nation’s highest electoral body, was reportedly raided for the fourth time by the nation’s Public Ministry (PM) last week. According to a press release by the US Department of State, the PM seized election materials as part of a continued effort [...]