Guatemalan talks about rights
By Kathleen Pender
f o> !f w Or«QC*' Ojuty f meraK)
Guatemalan President Jorge Serrano resorted to
totalitarian rule because he saw democratic grass
roots organization happening in the country and
was concerned that government ond military offi
cials could lie investigated for involvement in drug
trafficking and human rights abuses, a Guatemalan
human rights activist said in Eugene Saturday
"Human rights leaders have been mobilizing,
hut little else is known.” said Miguel Sucuoui
Mejia, secretary of the Executive Board of the
Runujel Junam Council of Ethnic Communities, an
Indian-based organization in Guatemala that rep
resents nine ethnic: Mayan groups.
CERJ. founded in 198H to struggle for indigenous
rights and to denounc e human rights violations,
works to end forced participation of peasants by
the military in civil defense patrols, and provides
legal, medical and moral aid for refugees and peo
ple evicted from their communities.
Serrano suspended the Guatemalan Constitu
tion. ousted the Supreme Court, cracked down on
the press and assumed dictatorial power May 25.
Serrano defended his actions, deemed illegal by
the Guatemalan Constitutional Court and con
demned by the international community, as nec
essary in order to curb corruption within govern
ment ranks that was undermining his efforts to
build democracy in Guatemala.
The United States, as of Saturday, canceled most
economic: aid to Guatemala, wire reports said.
"We knew this was going to happen. It was in
the air,” Mejia said, through a Spanish translator
to a group of about 30 people at the Koinonia Cen
ter.
"The capital of Guatemala, Guatemala Gitv, is
militarized. There is a great list of people the gov
ernment wants to capture, of rural campesino
groups and human rights groups.” Mejia said. "Sis
people were disappeared during a peaceful
demonstration on May 2fi. As of this time, no one
knows where they are or what condition they are
in."
Backed by the military. Serrano placed numer
ous government officials and human rights
activists under house arrest last week and banned
all but the most heavily censored news media,
wire reports said.
Noted civil rights activist Rigoberta Menchu. a
recent Nolwl Peace Prize laureate, culled for peace
ful civil disobedience before a small demonstra
tion outside of the National Palat e in Guatemala
Gity Sunday. Protest may be limited because of
fear of a bloody military crackdown.
Mejia and two other Guatemalan activists,
including a traditional Mayan priest, originally
tame to Eugene with the purpose of sharing infor
mation altout Mayan culture and religion, particu
larly with other Native Americans
"To defend our culture, language, tradition,
dress, etc. is central to the struggle,'' Mejia said.
The delegation believes that CKRI and other
human rights organizations are united in
Guatemala at this moment, despite the fact that the
leaders of the groups on? being persecuted. Various
leaders came together at the University of St. Car
los May 26, but their immediate situation is
unknown. Mejia said
CERJ is now an illegal organization in
Guatemala
"We are one of the most persecuted organiza
tions in Guatemala.” Mejia said “Twenty-sis
members have been assassinated, disappeared or
tortured. Even so. we've been able to make an
impact on government and international human
rights organizations,”
The Guatemalan delegation is asking for people
and organizations to help support their work and
to request the safety of human rights loaders in
Guatemala.
"Wo ask that people contm t the president and
the U.S. Congress and ask them to please
denounce the
‘Six people were
disappeared during
a peaceful
demonstration on
May 26. As of this
time, no one knows
where they are or
what condition
they are in.’
Miguel Sucuqui Mejia,
CERJ secretary
(• u a 1 e m a I b n
g o v e r n m o n t
and t ut off all
aid," Mejia
said.
‘‘As you
know, the U S
governmont
supports the
G ua t itin a I a n
govern in e n t
politically and
economically
But many peo
ple don't even
know that
Guatemala is
part of Central
America Many |H*opfe twliev e (.liatemaM is .1 slate
in Muvii o." Mejia said
Four countries arc doing military training in
Guatemala — Chile, Israel. Germany and the Unit
ed States. Mejia said Israel and Guatemala signed
on arms agreement in January 1993. on anting to a
Journal of Human Rights issued hv Five prominent
human rights organizations.
In February, as many as r>,(KM) U S soldiers were
sent to Guatemala under the pretext of engineering
and road building. They are really helping to rein
force Guatemalan soldiers in repressing the pop
ulation. Mepa said.
The United States sponsored a coup in
Guatemala in 1954. Guatemala still lives under the
legacy of that c oup and has lived under various
forms of military rule since then
In recent years, unions, human rights groups
and parts of the private sector hove pushed for
democracy and a transition from military to civil
ian rule in Guatemala.
But the military, particularly members of the
officer corps, are implicated in serious human
rights violations and drug trafficking. Mejia said.
Further democratization could shed light on these
violations, which the officer corps and their ally.
Serrano, may he trying to avoid.
Serrano said he will seek election fora new leg
islature within fiO days
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