2011: The Most Violent Year for Human Rights Defenders The Human Rights Defenders Protection Unit

Guatemala (Unidad de Proteccin a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos Guatemala; UDEFEGUA) informs that, according to our registry, 2011 was the most violent year for human rights defenders. We counted a total of 402 acts, which represent violations of the right to defend human rights. The aggressions were committed against 94 female human rights defenders, representing 23% of the cases, 293 male defenders, corresponding to 73% of the registry, and 4% were committed against institutions. In comparison with 2010, we see a rise of 33% in the number of cases registered. During the government of lvaro Colom we registered 1,224 acts of aggression, which contrasts with 618 during the government of Oscar Berger and 338 during the government of Alfonso Portillo. The gravity of the situation for human rights defenders is directly related to the rise in attention to land conflicts and the repressive policies against communities that object to the use of their resources without previous consultation. The poor management of social conflictivity caused the government of Colom to use the State of Exception as a mechanism of social control, aggravating the situation for human rights defenders in the region. During 2011, the government of lvaro Colom began once again to use the practice of defamation against human rights defenders and with this opened the door to more threats and criminalization committed by non-State actors. In this regard, the work of journalists has been put at risk during this government. Despite their commitments before the international community and the signing of the National Accord for the Advancement of Security and Justice, the government of lvaro Colom has not institutionalized the state mechanisms for protection of human rights defenders. They did not come to a consensus, nor did they approve the Program for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Other Vulnerable Victims. Neither did they institutionalize the Authority for Analysis of Attacks against Human Rights Defenders, which ceased to function on January 9th this year, given that the governmental accord is awaiting the opinion of the Secretary General. On the other hand, the District Attorney has advanced in some cases regarding crimes committed against human rights defenders; the most emblematic being the cases of Cotzal (2009), Lisandro Guarcax (2010) and Emilia Quan (2010). However, the majority of cases remain in impunity, the most ignored being cases of journalists and unionists.

One important advance is the signing of the Convention for Cooperation signed between the District Attorney, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Presidential Commission for Coordinating Executive Policy in Human Rights (COPREDEH) to support the coordination of penal prosecution and protection for human rights defenders. We hope that the new government will follow up with these changes and allow them to continue advancing at the same time that they formulate a policy regarding these themes. We highlight that during this last year the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) advanced in their investigation and penal prosecution of structures that attack human rights defenders; such as the case of the murder of human rights defender Vctor Glvez (2009). As such, we recognize the investigations they undertake together with the District Attorney in various cases in which there are illegal bodies and clandestine apparati functioning. A contrasting case is that of the Human Rights Ombudsman Procuradura de Derechos Humanos, PDH which, during recent years has deteriorated in their functions and credibility. The vacuum left by the PDH has generated a very grave situation of vulnerability for human rights defenders acting at the local level, and for the population in general. We thank the international community, which represents an important role in the protection of human rights defenders, not only through the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, but also through actions of the Embassies, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the system of the United Nations. Beginning this year 2012 and the administration of a new government: We call on human rights defenders to remain alert and to continue denouncing aggressions to the national and international system. We urge the international community to maintain vigilance for aggressions against human rights defenders and to condemn acts of defamation developed from the State or with its consent by non-state actors. We demand that the new government comply with the commitments of the Global Accord on Human Rights, the National Accord for the Advancement of Security and Justice, and the International Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Institutions to Promote and Defend Human Rights and Freedoms Universally recognized.

*FOR THE RIGHT TO DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS* *Human Rights Defenders Protection Unit* *-UDEFEGUA-* Guatemala, January 6th, 2012 *Human Rights Defenders murdered during 2011* Number Name Organization Date 1 Esvin Carol Glvez SGTSG Filial Hospital Nac. de Retahuleu 05/01/2011 2 Vctor Haroldo Leyva Borrayo Independent Artist 02/02/2011 3 Ramiro Chon Comisin de los 15 08/02/2011 4 Alberto Coc Cal Community Leader 12/02/2011 5 Sebastin Xuc Coc 12/02/2011 6 Catalina Muc Maas Ak'Tenamit 12/02/2011 7

Eddy Cceres Rodrguez Supreme Court of Justice 15/02/2011 8 Antonio Bec Ac Peasant Unity Committee (Comit de Unidad Campesina, CUC) 15/03/2011 9 Eduardo Jess Velsquez Godnez Commission of the 15 (Comisin de los 15) 04/04/2011 10 Oscar Gonzlez Banana Workers' Union (Sindicato de Trabajadores Bananeros de Izabal, SITRABI) 10/04/2011 11 Oscar Reyes Actla Cooperative (Cooperativa Actla R.L) 21/05/2011 12 Allan Stoliwsky Vidaurre District Attorney (Ministerio Publico, Cobn, Alta Verapaz) 23/05/2011 13 Idar Joel Hernndez Godoy SITRABI 26/05/2011 14 Mara Margarita Chub Ch ULAM 03/06/2011 15 Manuel Mucu Choc Comunidad Playa Pataxte 04/06/2011 16

Marvin Leonel Pop Can Comunidad Playa Pataxte 02/07/2011 17 Sergio de Len Asociacin Brisas del Samala 28/07/2011 18 Byron Aroldo Arreaga Rosales SITRASEREPRO- 2o. Registro de la Propiedad 13/09/2011 19 Crisanto Maquim Alianza de Comunidades Indgenas y Campesinas de Guatemala -ACICG01/11/2011