Situacion de Emergencia en Guatemala
Por Znet - Friday, Aug. 08, 2003 at 12:34 AM

Ese articulo esta escrito en ingles, pero poden conseguir una copia en castellano en el sitio web de Znet. Es sobre una situacion de emergencia en que Rio Montt y sus siguedores estan reprimiendo a la gente guatemalteca de la oposicion. no hay que recordar que Rio Montt fue el dictador que asasino a mas de setenta mil personas en Guatemala durante la dictadura, y ahora quiere entrar en las elecciones para la presidencia.

1. GUATEMALA: CRITICAL DEVELOPMENTS, URGENT ACTION APPEAL


[[ LACYork News received the following appeal from Aileen Cowan, a
CERLAC graduate associate. She has just returned to Canada and writes:
“As I'm sure you know, the situation in Guatemala has become incredibly
tense during the past week. I returned to Toronto Wednesday morning,
and am feeling a little odd not being there right now.” We also include
an appeal from Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú, broadcast in Spanish
over “emisorasunidas” – (see Spanihs language sectin). Appeals of a
similar nature have also been issued by Amnesty International, and the
InterAmerican Human Rights Commission (Washington, DC Office) ]]

The dispute over whether General Efrain Ríos Montt can run for president

has dramatically escalated. Today [July 24], in a coordinated campaign
of violence, busloads of followers of Ríos Montt, including
paramilitaries, entered the capital city and attacked groups of people,
journalists, and critics of the general. They have threatened media
offices and human rights organizations. Héctor Ramírez, a journalist,
died of a heart attack while escaping from an aggressive mob, and other
journalists narrowly escaped lynching. This very dangerous development
may be the prelude to a coup.

The Constitutional Court authorized Ríos Montt to be a candidate on July

14, but the Supreme Court temporarily suspended that ruling several days

ago. Now a situation of legal and de facto anarchy is emerging. The
1985 Constitution clearly banned from the presidency any coup leader or
anyone who had become head of state as a result of a coup. The second
category includes Ríos Montt. Article 186 admits no other
interpretation; it is clear and direct. In 1995 and 1999, the three main

bodies dealing with this matter --the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE),
the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) and the Constitutional Court (CC)--
prevented Ríos Montt from being a candidate, a decision supported by the

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This year, however, despite
the fact that the TSE and the CSJ upheld previous rulings, the
Constitutional Court recently modified its previous decisions. The
Constitutional Court violated the Constitution by admitting an appeal by

Ríos Montt and his FRG party on grounds that his human rights were being

violated. It is crucial to recall that Ríos Montt has been accused of
genocide and other serious violations of human rights, causing the death

of some 70,000 people from March 1982 to August 1983. It is a travesty
that he now claims such political rights.

Although the CC is the highest body for interpreting the Constitution,
it cannot violate the Constitution. Many jurists and analysts believe
that a 4-3 decision cannot change the Constitution, which can only be
changed by a national referendum. Therefore, the CC's decision has been
rejected by many parties and organizations in Guatemala and taken to the

CSJ for new consideration.. The CSJ suspended the registration of Ríos
Montt as a candidate for the presidency, but it must submit a definite
ruling in a few days. This turn of events has made Ríos Montt extremely
angry, and he made veiled threats during a press conference two days
ago, saying that the FRG might not be able to control acts of violence
by his supporters if the decision by the CC was not accepted.

That threat became a reality today, when mobs organized by supporters of

the FRG and Ríos Montt were brought into the city. Armed with sticks,
machetes and guns, masked men attacked the media and organizations
opposing the CC's ruling. Bomb threats forced the CSJ to suspend
activities and abandon its building. Security forces did not deter the
mobs; the police did not intervene at all, giving the impression that
the Government, led by Alfonso Portillo an FRG member and an open
supporter of Ríos Montt-- was providing a green light to organized
violence.

Based on these events and concerned with the situation, we urgently
request you:

1. To send immediate messages of concern to the Guatemalan Government,
urging it to control and prevent violent demonstrations and to provide
security to all persons under any sort of threat.

2. To activate regional and international mechanisms to prevent a coup
d'etat (General Ríos Sosa, Ríos Montt's son, is second in command of the

Guatemalan armed forces) and the transgression of democratic norms.

3. To support all those organizations that struggle for respect for the
Constitution, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
the rule of law, and a fair electoral process.

Again, the current situation is very alarming, and we need the support
and accompaniment of the international community and all friends of the
Guatemalan people. We do not want to revert to our dark recent past;
Ríos Montt should be in prison and not leading violence and anarchy once

again.

CANADA: Hon. Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
House of Commons, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 (no stamp
needed)
(When Parliament is not in session please write to:
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: 125 Sussex Drive,

Ottawa, ON, K1A 0G2)
fax: 1 613 996 9607
e-mail: Graham.B@parl.gc.ca; mina10@drait-maeci.gc.ca Prime Minister
Jean Chretien
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
e-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca We strongly suggest that you send a copy of your
letter to your MP. Mailing address for all MPs: House of Commons,
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 (no stamp needed). Canadian Embassy in
Guatemala
Ambassador James Lambert
13 Calle 8-44, Zona 10 Edyma Plaza, 8 Nivel, Ciudad de Guatemala,
GUATEMALA
fax: 011 502 333 6161
e-mail: gtmla@dfait-maeci.gc.ca (please note that the e-mail address is
for the Embassy, it is not a personal e-mail address for the
Ambassador) GUATEMALA: President Alfonso Portillo
Palacio Nacional, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
fax: 011 502 239 0090 or 011 502 238 3579 or 011 502 239 0076
e-mail: MENSAJES@PRESIDENTEPORTILLO.GOB.GT or COPREDEH@GUATE.NET

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