Guatemala: A step towards justice for Indigenous authorities after months of criminalization
Amnesty International welcomes the Guatemalan judiciary’s decision to close the criminal proceedings against four Indigenous authorities charged with unlawful association, terrorism, obstruction of justice, sedition and obstruction of criminal prosecution following their participation in peaceful protests during the national strike in October 2023.
The ruling concerns Luis Pacheco, Héctor Chaclán and Basilio Puac, from the 48 Cantones of Totonicapán, and Esteban Toc, from the Indigenous Mayor’s Office of Sololá, who faced unfounded criminal proceedings in retaliation for their work defending human rights and the rule of law.
“This unfounded prosecution and all the human rights violations it led to should never have happened. Luis Pacheco and Héctor Chaclán should never have been imprisoned. This ruling is a first step towards ending the arbitrary actions against them,” said Astrid Valencia, Amnesty International’s Deputy Research Director for the Americas.