The Guardian 14 June, 2006
Guatemalan women’s organisation raided
The office of the National Union of Guatemalan Women (UNAMG) in the province of Chimaltenango was raided in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday June 06. The raiders searched their premises and stole computing equipment containing valuable information for the work of the organisation.
The raids are part of an escalation in violence, particularly against women and against a number of other social organisations which have been raided this year. "These violent actions represent a serious threat to all those social organisations that strive for the construction of peace, democracy, social justice and gender equality in Guatemala", UNMAG said in a statement following the raid.
"We demand that the ministry of interior and the correspondent authorities investigate the raids perpetrated against social organisations and that those found to be responsible be punished."
UNMAG expressed their public solidarity to all those social organisations whose offices have been victims of criminal raids and called on the Guatemalan President, Oscar Berger and his government to take the appropriate measures to stop these acts of violence and guarantee them all security.
"We call on the mass media to follow up these criminal acts that affect the construction of a democratic society and prevent the free participation of men and women in this process.
"Fighting for gender equality, we build peace!", their statement concluded.
Kidnapping
In another serious attack on the political rights of Guatemalans, respected political activist Oscar Humberto Duarte Paíz was kidnapped. On May 24, he was seized by heavily armed persons wearing balaclavas, in front of neighbours and students where he lived in Ciudad Quetzal.
After the kidnapping, the neighbours requested assistance from public institutions, such as the Ombudsman´s Office, the Civil National Police, and the Attorney General´s Office. His neighbours also set up commissions to search for Oscar Duarte in hospitals, prisons, the morgue — all to no avail.
On May 30, the citizens of Ciudad Quetzal issued an open letter to the international community, seeking support. In that letter they explained the political developments that made it possible for the establishment of their organisation, the Integrated Association for Community Development (ASIDECQ), and other progressive and democratic organisations.
"Within the framework of the peace agreements signed in our country in December 1996, our political, social, economic and cultural rights were rightfully recognised", the letter said.
These include political rights include the freedom of organisation and participation.
"As citizens of Ciudad Quetzal we started the Integrated Association for Community Development (ASIDECQ) with the goal of enhancing democracy and the well-being of our families through development, cooperation and unity."
The majority of Ciudad Quetzal´s 140,000 inhabitants belong to families which were displaced from rural areas and the Capital City as a result of the extreme poverty, as well as the armed conflict and massacres in indigenous regions.
ASSIDECQ took on the coordination of community development actions, such as a drinking water project, construction and management of a community health centre and a health clinic, maintenance of community streets and asphalting of the road to the capital city, enhancement of public transportation, improvement of the school.
"Oscar Duarte is a great social and political activist in our neighbourhood. Recently he participated in various activities to counteract violence and police repression ravaging our country. He is the secretary of the Integrated Association for Community Development of Ciudad Quetzal and surroundings"
The Association is demanding the immediate return of Oscar Duarte alive, for the perpetrators of the deed to be punished and the police to account for their negligence.
They also called for an end to the repression, harassment and terror campaigns against of organised communities and ASIDECQ´s members.
"ALIVE THEY TOOK HIM AWAY,
"ALIVE WE WANT HIM BACK!"
Write to: Consulate of Guatemala
Tel:02 9451 3018, 0438 788 855Fax: 02 8901 0758
Email: conguasydney@optusnet.com.au
PO Box 646, Willoughby, NSW 2068