115 Join Lee in Calling for Protection for Women, Human Rights Workers in Guatemala
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), Ranking Member of the House International Relations Committee and Human Rights Caucus Co-Chair, Congressman Tom Lantos, Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus, Congresswoman Hilda Solis and 112 other members of Congress sent a letter to the State Department today, calling for increased protection for women and human rights workers in Guatemala.
“There is bipartisan concern about the growing violence in Guatemala, both against women and human rights workers,” said Lee. “I think we need to send a strong message that we will help our allies to combat such violence and support human rights by offering the necessary resources and technical assistance.”
The letter comes in response to a dramatic increase in the murders of women and human rights workers, and concerns that failure to investigate the crimes is contributing to escalating violence. The letter cites statistics from the Guatemalan National Civil Police showing that the number of women murdered in 2005 was a 110 percent increase over the number of women murdered in 2002. During 2005, 224 human rights defenders were the victims of assault, an 83.6 percent increase from the 122 attacks recorded in 2004. A 2004 report by the Organization of American States Special Rapporteur on Women indicates that the justice system has not responded effectively to these crimes, and that failure has contributed to a growing sense of impunity, and growing concerns about safety among women.
The letter called on the State Department to undertake diplomatic measures to address the crisis. Specifically, it asked for the U.S. to provide technical assistance and resources to support the timely investigation of homicides, as well as public support for the Guatemalan human rights ombudsman and other victims’ rights advocates. Additionally, it called for support for the implementation of the National Plan for the Prevention and Eradication of Domestic and Interfamilial Violence.
The letter was supported by a variety of organizations including the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Amnesty International, the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies University of California, Hastings College of the Law, the Denver Peace and Justice Coalition, and the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN).
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