Declaration

Condemnation of the murder of Onsimo Marcelino Lpez Ramos in

Jupiter, Florida, United States
The Guatemalan Civil Society Group on Migration Issues calls upon the Guatemalan
and international communities to take action in the face of the serious human rights
violations committed against the Guatemalan youth, Onsimo Marcelino Lpez
Ramos, who was beaten to death on Saturday, April 18, 2015 around 1:00 am after
returning home from work at a restaurant.
On the same day, police arrested the three Americans, Jesse Harris, 18, David M.
Harris, 19, and Austin L. Taggart, 19, responsible for the murder; the three
offenders were denied bail. Onsimos two brothers were also victims of the attack
and say that the offenders used stones, trash cans, and iron bars as weapons.1
Jupiter Police Chief Frank J. Kitzerows statements that investigations reveal that
this was "a premeditated crime that target[ed its] victim based on ethnicity and
in this particular case they specifically targeted the Hispanic community are highly
concerning.2 It is contemptible that the term "Guat-bashing has been coined in the
United States;3 Honorary Consul of Guatemala in West Palm Beach, Aileen Josephs,
notes that this term is also used in South Florida.
This is not the first time that ethnicity-driven hate crimes have led to Guatemalans
being murdered in the United States and specifically Palm Beach County. Two
female high school students murdered Eben Roblero, 21, in Palm Beach County
several years ago, and Antonio Muralles, 52, who lived in Stanford, Connecticut, was
murdered as part of a hate crime.
We express our solidarity with migrant communities in the United States and their
families in Guatemala in the face of the acts of ethnic hatred, racism, and
xenophobia being committed against Hispanics and, in this case, against the
Guatemalan population.
We call on the immigrant community in the United States to report any and all
crimes committed against them, especially those that are expressions of racism
and/or xenophobia.
We applaud the Jupiter Police Departments efforts to ensure the safety of each of
the towns residents regardless of their nationality or ethnicity. We also recognize
their commitment to bringing justice to those who break this law.

Refer to http://www.wpbf.com/news/jupiter-police-chief-wont-tolerate-hate-crimes-in-city/32624960
Refer to http://www.wptv.com/news/region-n-palm-beach-county/jupiter/news-conference-at-10-am-after-possiblehate-crime-in-jupiter
3
Refer to http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/27/us/27guatemala.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0
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We commend the Jupiter Police Department and El Sol, Jupiter's Neighborhood

Resource Center for working cooperatively to build a trusting relationship between
police officials and the immigrant community.
We ask the government of the United States to:
1. Guarantee that justice is brought for this and other murders committed
against immigrants due to xenophobia or hatred of those who belong to
different ethnic groups.
2. Create mechanisms that protect the lives of immigrants regardless of their
immigration status. There is nothing more important than the right to life,
equality, and integrity. Although many people of Hispanic origin have an
irregular immigration status in the United States, this condition is due to an
administrative flaw and in no way justifies actions that threaten the right to
life.
3. Ensure that all those who are guilty of such hate crimes are tried in
accordance with the laws and sentences that have been established to address
them.
4. Strengthen citizen initiatives, especially those that involve youth, which
encourage respect for differences, promote cultural diversity, and inspire
cultural acceptance. America is a nation composed of immigrants who have
contributed significantly to the countrys economic, political, and social
development; the Hispanic community has been an important actor in this
development.
We ask the government of Guatemala to:
1. Support its families and communities in their demands for justice.
2. Ensure that deceased bodies are repatriated.
3. Strengthen and support the efforts of immigrant communities in the United
States to make their demands heard.
4. Take steps to repair the hurt caused to the victims family.
5. Use diplomatic routes to call upon the United States Department of Justice to
conduct a thorough investigation of these types of cases in light of the
increasing recurrence
Guatemalan Civil Society Group on Migration Issues:
Signed by the following members of the Guatemalan Civil Society Group on
Migration Issues:
National Alliance of Caribbean and Latin American Communities -NALACC; ALA
Alliance Association; Child Refuge Association; Catholic Relief Services -CRS;
Center for Local Development Studies and Support -CEADEL-; Guatemala City
Migrant Shelter; International Red Cross Committee -CICR; National Coalition of
Guatemalan Migrants in the United States -CONGUATE; Project Counseling PCS-; Womens Christian Council; Office of Defense for Uprooted Populations and
Migrants, Office of Human Rights -PDH; Womens Office of Defense, Office of
Human Rights -PDH; International Network against Sexual Exploitation -ECPAT;
Central American Institute for Social Studies and Development INCEDES;
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Community Studies and Psychosocial Action -ECAP; Institute of Historical,

Anthropological, and Archaeological Research, University of San Carlos of
Guatemala IIHAA/USAC; Institute for Social Protection -IPS; Research and
Political Management Institute, Rafael Landvar University -INGEP/URL;
Guatemalan Federation of Radio Schools -FGER; Avina Foundation; Guatemalan
National Migration Bureau MENAMIG; Movement of Guatemalans in the United
States -MIGUA-; Social Movement for the Rights of Children and Adolescence;
Women Opening Paths; Pastoral of Human Mobility, Episcopal Conference of
Guatemala; Guatemalan Network for Peace and Development -RPDG; Pop No'j
Association; Association of Returned Guatemalans -ARG.
Guatemala, May 12, 2015.
ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT ENDORSE THIS DECLARATION
-ENDORSEMENTS-

1. Abelina Mendoza, Guatemalan in Miami, Florida, United States

2. Adriana Sletza Ortega, Profesor, Law Department, Benemrita Autonomous
University of Puebla -Mexico.
3. Economic and Social Development Services Agency, (ASDECOHUE) Guatemala.
4. Alba Hernndez, Profesor, National Autonomous University of Mexico
Mexico.
5. Guatemalan Alliance Hispanics without Borders, Miami, Florida. United
States.
6. Ana Lpez Molina -Argentina.
7. Anait Galeotti Guatemala.
8. ngela Yax Guatemala.
9. Ann Jefferson, Department of History, University of Tennessee, United
States.
10. Aracely Martnez - Guatemala.
11. Huehuetenango Health Department -Guatemala.
12. COMUNICARTE Association Guatemala.
13. Coordinating Association for Community Health Services (ACCSS) Guatemala.
14. Youth Peace Association of Guatemala -Guatemala.
15. Aileen Josephs Cnsul honoraria de Guatemala del Condado de Palm Beach.
Florida United States.
16. BE FOUNDATION Mexico.
17. Beatriz Labate, Anthropologist - Brasil.
18. Blanca Mendoza, Guatemalan in Miami, Florida, United States.
19. Boaventura de Souza Santos. Social Studies Center, S. Jeronimo College Portugal.
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20. Brent Metz, Assoc. Profesor, Department of Anthropology, University of

Kansas United States.
21. Brigada Callejera, Support for Women, "Elisa Martnez" - Mexico.
22. Carlos Byron Garcia Ovalle - Guatemala.
23. Carlos Figueroa Ibarra - Guatemala.
24. Carlos Ren Garca Escobar. Antroplogo. Guatemala.
25. Casa del Migrante de Saltillo - Mexico
26. Centro de Atencin a la Familia Migrante Indgena Mexico.
27. Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matas de Crdoba A.C- Mexico.
28. Centro Internacional para los Derechos Humanos de los Migrantes,
CIDEHUM . Costa Rica.
29. Claudia Cabrera - Mexico.
30. Coalicin Indgena de Migrantes de Chiapas -CIMICH- Mexico.
31. Colectiva feminista Las impertinentes /Guatemala.
32. Colectivo de Apoyo para Personas Migrantes A.C (COAMI) Mexico.
33. Colectivo Ustedes Somos Nosotros Mexico.
34. Comisin de la Mujer de Huehuetenango (CODEMUJER) -Guatemala.
35. Comit de Derechos Humanos Fray Pedro Lorenzo de La Nada -Mexico.
36. Comit de Derechos Humanos Oralia Morales -Mexico.
37. Comit por el Respeto de los Derechos Humanos de Guatemala con sede en
Australia.
38. Dahil Melgar Tisoc - Mexico.
39. David Urieta, Programa AmeriCorps VISTA - United States.
40. Defensa de Nias y Nios - Internacional, DNI -Costa Rica.
41. Delmi Arriaza, Guatemala.
42. Dignidad, Memoria y Paz - Guatemaltecas y Guatemaltecos en Costa Rica.
43. Dr. Ral Delgado Wise. Profesor-investigador Doctorado en Estudios del
Desarrollo, Universidad Autnoma de Zacatecas. Presidente Red
Internacional de Migracin y Desarrollo.-Mexico.
44. Dra. Irma Alicia Velsquez Nimatuj. -Guatemala.
45. Dra. Maria Lourdes Rosas Lpez - Universidad Popular Autnoma del Estado
de Puebla, Mexico - Mexico.
46. Dra. Mnica Toussaint, Profesora-investigadora, Instituto Mora. -Mexico.
47. Dra. Morna Macleod. Profesora-investigadora. Facultad de Estudios
Superiores de Cuautla (FESC). Universidad Autnoma del Estado de
Morelos (UAEM). -Mexico.
48. El Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes Chiapas Mexico.
49. Elizabeth Oglesby. Profesora Asociada de Estudios Latinoamericanos
Universidad de Arizona, Tucson. - United States.
50. Emilio del Valle Escalante Associate Professor of Spanish. University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. United States.
51. ENLACE, Comunicacin y Capacitacin -Mexico.
52. FAU Corn Maya Club Jupiter, Florida. United States.
53. FONAMIH Honduras.
54. Formacin y Capacitacin -Mexico.
55. Foro Nacional de la Mujer -Guatemala.
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56. Foro Social Latinoamericano en Australia.

57. Francisco Rodolfo Gonzlez Galeotti, -Guatemala.
58. FUNDAR, Centro de Anlisis e Investigacin -Mexico.
59. Gainesville Interfaith Alliance for Immigrant Justice - United States
60. Georgina Vega Fregoso Mexico.
61. Gisela Gellert - Guatemala.
62. Global Workers Justice Alliance - United States
63. Gloria Alicia Caudillo Flix Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico.
64. GOJoven -Guatemala.
65. Grupo de Monitoreo Independiente de El Salvador GMIES- El Salvador.
66. Ileana Melendreras Guatemala.
67. Iliana Guadalupe Villegas, Anthropology Department, University of Florida United States.
68. Iniciativa PUENTES Migraciones, Guatemala.
69. Iniciativas para la Identidad y la Inclusin -Mexico.
70. Instituto para las Mujeres en la Migracin (IMUMI) -Mexico.
71. Isabel Pinillos, Guatemala.
72. Jesuit Social Research Institute, Loyola University New Orleans - United
States.
73. Jorge Lpez Arvalo, profesor de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad
Autnoma de Chiapas -UNACH-, Mexico.
74. Jorge Quim - Guatemala.
75. Jos Luis Loera Casa Refugiados Mexico.
76. Karen Kampwirth. Knox College United States.
77. Karin Slowing Umaa Guatemala.
78. La Estancia del Migrante Gonzlez y Martnez A.C. Mexico.
79. Leonor Hurtado, Oakland California -United States.
80. Libertad Rian /Guatemala.
81. Luis Edgar Arenas INDESGUA Guatemala.
82. Luis Pedro Taracena - Guatemala.
83. Luz Mndez -Guatemala.
84. Manuela Camus, profesora investigadora de la Universidad de Guadalajara
Mexico.
85. Mara Delgado, Organizadora y defensora comunitaria, FIST MIGRANTE United States.
86. Mateo Prez Prez - Mexico.
87. Mesa Transfronteriza Migraciones y Gnero -MTMG- Guatemala,
Mexico.
88. Migracin y Desarrollo A.C. Mexico.
89. Miguel ngel Albizures. Periodista de Guatemala.
90. Miguel ngel Paz Carrasco Mexico.
91. Nosotras Somos Tu Voz Mexico.
92. Odil Uriarte Martnez Nicaragua.
93. Organizacin de Mujeres de Chacul (Nentn) -Guatemala.
94. Organizacin Desafo Juvenil -Guatemala.
95. Pastoral Social de Huehuetenango -Guatemala.
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96. Paula Ximena Dobles - Costa Rica.

97. Pedro Pablo Solares, Guatemala.
98. Philip J. Williams, Director of Center for Latin American Studies, University
of Florida, United States.
99. Plataforma 51 - Guatemala.
100. Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad Guatemala.
101. Puesto de Salud La Mesilla -Guatemala.
102. PVIFS -Mexico.
103. Red de Mujeres del Bajo A.C. Mexico.
104. Red Internacional de Migracin y Desarrollo. RIMD.
105. Red Regional de Organizaciones Civiles para las Migraciones RROCM.
106. Rodolfo Garca Zamora. Universidad Autnoma de Zacatecas, -Mexico.
107. Rural Women's Health Project - United States.
108. Santiago Bastos, Investigador CIESAS, Mexico.
109. Sara Martinez Juan, residente en Guatemala, nacionalidad espaola.
110. Selvin Torres Hernandez - Guatemala.
111. Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes-Frontera Sur -Mexico.
112. Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Salud de Guatemala,
Huehuetenango (SNTSG) -Guatemala.
113. Susanne Jonas, University of California, Santa Cruz, United States.
114. Victoria Gmez de la Torre, Migrant Education Program - United States.
115. Victoria Tubin, maya kaqchikel. - Guatemala.
116. Voces de Mujeres Guatemala.
117. Voces Mesoamericanas, Accin con Pueblos Migrantes -Mexico.
118. Xochitl Leyva Solano. Chiapas - Mexico.
119. Zachary Humphrey, Florida, - United States.
120. Zachary Humphrey, Florida, United States Farmworker Association of
Florida - United States