Central America
Talks planned to end 100-year Guatemala indigenous dispute
AFP
Hundreds of indigenous people lifted their blockage of a major road in Guatemala on Tuesday after an agreement was reached for talks to resolve a bloody century-old land dispute.
On Monday, members of the Mayan K’iche group had blocked the Interamericana highway with the caskets of 11 of the 13 victims of a weekend massacre in which four children aged between five and 16 were alleged killed with machetes.
The roadblock was lifted after an agreement among residents who had traveled to Guatemala City to meet government officials to try to start talks over a legal border between two rival communities.
“A dialogue will begin in the first half of January, where the issue of the border will be discussed,” said Mateo Tzep, 42, a community leader from Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan municipality that is in conflict with the neighboring Nahuala.
Although both communities are K’iche, they have been fighting over land — at times violently — for more than 100 years.
On Friday night, armed men with “high caliber” weapons ambushed a group of people from Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan who went to the village of Chiquix in Nahuala to pick corn.
The children were cut into pieces and the victims were then burnt inside the truck they were traveling in. A police vehicle was also attacked, leaving one officer dead and two injured.
The Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan community claims those in Nahuala have stolen some of their land.
On Monday, President Alejandro Giammattei declared a month-long state of siege in the two communities, which means demonstrations and the right to carry weapons are banned.
“These events are no longer the product of an ancestral land conflict. They are the direct consequence of an illegal armed and organized group that acted against civilians and security forces through an ambush,” said Giammattei.
He vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Three men carrying M16 rifles were arrested on Sunday. Authorities said they would carry out forensic tests on the weapons to see if they were used in the massacre.
Protesters had blocked the Interamaericana — one of Guatemala’s main highways, which links the capital to the west — with tires, tree trunks, rocks and concrete blocks.
“We don’t want any more deaths, we don’t want any more violence. We are looking for peace and justice,” said a man at the roadblock who identified himself only as Diego.
Indigenous people, many living in poverty, make up more than 40 percent of Guatemala’s almost 17 million population, according to official statistics.
Central America
Nicaragua Held Responsible for Harassment of Opposition Prosecutor and His Family
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Wednesday found Nicaragua responsible for threats, harassment, and attacks suffered by opposition election monitor Jaime Antonio Chavarría and his family after he reported irregularities during the July 27, 2008 municipal elections.
Chavarría was serving as an electoral verification prosecutor for the opposition Constitutional Liberal Party at a polling station in Managua on election day. He filed a formal objection with local authorities, complaining that the polling center had closed before the scheduled time while voters were still waiting to be verified.
According to the ruling, Chavarría and several relatives present at the site were subjected to insults and threats by a representative of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). As they were leaving the area, they were intercepted and attacked by a large group of individuals allegedly incited by local Sandinista leaders.
“The events were witnessed by police officers who refrained from intervening. Mr. Chavarría Morales and his relatives, who suffered various injuries, managed to escape in their vehicle, which the aggressors attempted to set on fire,” the court detailed.
Chavarría reported the incident to the National Police, but the case was ultimately shelved in May 2016. Acts of harassment and intimidation continued over time.
The court concluded that the State bore responsibility for the threats, harassment, and subsequent attacks following July 2008, citing the participation or acquiescence of state agents in some of the incidents, as well as the failure to adopt protection and investigative measures.
In its judgment, the court determined that Nicaragua violated Chavarría’s rights to personal integrity, freedom of thought and expression, political rights, equality before the law, and the right to defend human rights.
The ruling also established state responsibility for violations affecting the personal integrity, judicial guarantees, judicial protection, and family protection rights of Chavarría and for the harm caused to the life plans of his children: Cindy Alicia Chavarría Alonso, Jeffer Joaquín Chavarría Alonso, and Jaime Antonio Chavarría Alonso.
Central America
Guatemala’s Attorney General Fails in Bid for Top Court Seat Amid Corruption Allegations
The Attorney General of Guatemala, Consuelo Porras, failed on Tuesday in her bid to join the country’s highest constitutional court, a position that would have granted her immunity from corruption allegations for which she has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.
Porras, whose term as attorney general ends in May, did not receive a single vote in the final round of voting to become a magistrate of the Corte de Constitucionalidad, whose rulings are final and cannot be appealed.
The Supreme Court reelected Dina Ochoa and Claudia Paniagua as its representatives to the Constitutional Court.
Ochoa is considered close to former presidents Jimmy Morales (2016–2020) and Alejandro Giammattei (2020–2024), both accused of corruption. Paniagua, like Porras, has been sanctioned by the United States.
Washington and the European Union have labeled Porras as “corrupt” and “undemocratic,” accusing her of attempting to block the inauguration of Social Democratic President Bernardo Arévalo two years ago.
In addition, the 72-year-old attorney general—who is seeking a third term—has been accused of forcing anti-corruption officials, journalists, and social leaders into exile. She denies the allegations and claims they are part of a political persecution campaign.
Porras’ chances of remaining in office, a position she has held since 2018, are considered slim, as President Arévalo is responsible for appointing the next attorney general.
Central America
Panama Canal Monitoring Trade as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Shipping
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said Monday it is closely monitoring global maritime trade developments following the conflict triggered by joint U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.
However, the ACP described it as “premature” to predict potential consequences for vessel traffic through the interoceanic waterway, which handles roughly 5% of global maritime trade.
“The Panama Canal continuously monitors the evolution of international maritime trade and the dynamics that may influence its flows,” the authority said in a statement. The canal’s main users are the United States and China, connecting primarily the U.S. East Coast with Asia, including South Korea and Japan.
The ACP emphasized that the canal “continues to operate safely, efficiently, and reliably,” providing uninterrupted service to the global maritime community.
Global Shipping Disruptions
The U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory actions have disrupted global maritime traffic, particularly oil tanker routes.
Shipping giants Maersk and CMA CGM have suspended transits through the Strait of Hormuz as well as crossings via the Suez Canal, the key route linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
As a result, cargo vessels are now rerouting around Africa to reach Europe from the Middle East and Asia — a detour that adds several thousand kilometers and several days to voyages.
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