(Josue Decavele/Getty Images) |
|
| Dear John, As you may know, Guatemala will be holding general elections for president, legislators, and mayors on June 25. In an effort to assess pre-electoral conditions WOLA, alongside Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), visited Guatemala City from April 17 to April 21.
The purpose of this trip was to meet with civil society organizations, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, independent press, diplomatic corps, and both United Nations and European Union representatives in order to better understand the existing challenges with regards to the June elections. In these meetings, we discussed candidate exclusions, the crackdown on freedom of speech, increased cases of aggression and criminalization against civil society, among many other concerns. Learn more about our findings here.
In other news this week, our Director for the Andes, Gimena Sánchez was invited to speak at the Embassy of Colombia in Washington about bilateral relations and the need for increased protection of Afro-Colombian communities, labor rights, police reform, the implementation of the Ethnic Chapter, and more. She also spoke on a new episode of Colombia Acuerdo de Paz about corruption in Colombia’s Prosecutor’s office.
All this and more in this week's WOLA Weekly. Best, |
|
|
|
Ana María Méndez Dardón Director for Central America |
|
|
-
🇬🇹 Guatemala will be holding its general presidential, legislators, and mayors election on June 25. In an effort to assess conditions in the months leading up to election day, WOLA, along with HRW and RFKHR, traveled to Guatemala city from April 17-21. Learn about our findings.
-
🇬🇹 In a joint letter to the International Criminal Court, WOLA and other human rights organizations highlight the increased attacks on judicial independence in Guatemala.
-
🇨🇴 On May 25, 2023, Gimena Sánchez, Director for the Andes, participated in a discussion at the Colombian Embassy in Washington, D.C. where she highlighted the need for bilateral support in the implementation of the Ethnic Chapter, protection for Afro-Colombian communities, labor rights, police reform, and more.
- 🇨🇴 During this week's episode of Colombia Acuerdo de Paz, Gimena spoke about corruption in Colombia’s Prosecutor’s office. Watch the episode.
|
|
|
In a press conference concluding WOLA's recent trip to Guatemala City, Carolina Jiménez Sandoval, highlighted how the judicial system is being used to clamp down on those who speak the truth. |
|
|
📹 On April 28, 2023, WOLA partnered with the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy at the University of Essex (United Kingdom) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to host a panel on drug policy and human rights at the 2023 Cities Summit of the Americas. Learn more here.
|
|
|
In April 2022, WOLA launched its one-of-a-kind Border Oversight Database, which documents hundreds of reports of human rights violations and abuses against migrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
|
|
|
Adam Isacson Director for Defense Oversight |
| |
|
| Maureen Meyer Vice President for Programs |
|
|
STAND WITH US AS WE CHAMPION HUMAN RIGHTS IN LATIN AMERICA |
|
|
Sergio Ortiz Borbolla/WOLA |
|
|
Copyright © 2023 Washington Office on Latin America, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are signed up to the WOLA mailing list. WOLA
1666 Connecticut Ave NW
Suite 400, DC 20009
United States |
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe. |
|
|
|
