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A Voice For the Voiceless

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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

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Survivors of the Rio Negro Massacres

In spite of their successes, the Rio Negro activists know they have a long way to go. For all their hard work, fewer than ten exhumations have been performed. Only one trial has been held, and that is still on appeal.

They face indifference and downright racism in the court system. Officials of the court do not speak Achi, and there are rarely sufficient translators to make sure people know what is going on during a procedure. Further, complainants must endure tedious and costly processes. It can take an entire day in court to file an exhumation request.


Photo credit: Stefan Schmitt.

This painting, the "Homage to the Seven Martyrs of Río Negro" was done by father Pedro Lesaca, a catholic priest from Rabinal, in memory of the first massacre.

"We have informed the authorities about 35 mass graves to this date," said Pedrina."But they have delayed, or ignored us. The only concrete result so far has been in the Rio Negro case, because there were survivors who testified. In some other cases, there were witnesses, but they have been ignored."

The survivors readily admit that they lack the education, resources and contacts needed to exploit the legal system. Jesus said, "Now, almost no one is in jail because of the atrocities-only the commanders from the Rio Negro massacre. Making trials happen is difficult because there is much discrimination in the courts. So the indigenous people do not want to go file complaints, because they feel very threatened."

The survivors also face political opposition. They were shocked when Efrain Rios Montt, one of Guatemala's most notorious rulers, was elected president of the Guatemalan Congress in the 1999 elections. They also feared the worst when Lucas Tecu, commander of all the PACs in the municipality during the war, was elected as the new mayor.

Recently a threat was passed to the residents of Pacux that "we will come back and finish what we started in 1982."

There is intimidation against the survivors. An attempt was made to kidnap Pedrina late in 1999, but her family protected her. Later, someone fired a shot in front of her house, hitting her son in the foot. Someone shot at Carlos Chen Osorio. Recently a threat was passed to the residents of Pacux that "we will come back and finish what we started in 1982."

ADIVIMA's successes, and the high profile of Jesus, Pedrina and Carlos have provoked jealousy as well as threats. Egged on by former patrolmen and other sworn critics, some villagers resent the fact that the community leaders are earning a salary from foreign aid and living in solidly built houses.

It would be hard to pin a profiteering accusation on Jesus. In 1996, he received the Reebok Human Rights Award, which is given to human rights activists under the age of 30 in various countries. Jesus was taken on tour to some eastern cities of the United States in 1998 and received a prize of $25,000-an unimaginable treasure in the villages of Guatemala.

Jesus put the money into a plot of land for ADIVIMA, and a foundation that currently supports 14 local students. He wears worn-out clothing and lives in the same kind of shabby shack as the other survivors. The only difference is that the front of his house is painted blue.

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