Urgent Action: Attack on Guatemalan Women's Sector

CoDevelopment Canada is alarmed by a break-in that took place early on March 8 at the Women’s Sector’s offices in Guatemala City.

Sensitive information, such as accounting documents and files on women’s organizations in Guatemala, were stolen. As well, the assailants took the Sector’s computers and other equipment, while other materials were destroyed. Paradoxically the organization’s cash box remained untouched.

The Women's Sector is a broad alliance of 33 Guatemalan women’s organizations. It has worked for women’s rights in Guatemala since 1994, when the Sector was created to provide a voice for women in the Peace Talks aimed at ending Guatemala’s armed conflict. Since then the Sector has suffered 4 break-ins. This year, the Sector was the lead organization of the coalition organizing International Women's Day in Guatemala, including activities to denounce violence against women and girls. Unfortunately, the materials they had prepared for IWD were also destroyed during the break-in.

CoDevelopment Canada is concerned for the safety of the staff and members of the Women’s Sector. The attack is a severe blow to Guatemalan women’s organizations and their work. It is important to highlight that this attack on the Guatemalan feminist movement occurs in the context of new legislative initiatives restrict the work of civil society organizations and to defend and promote human rights; as well as an initiative in the Guatemalan Congress to grant amnesty to those convicted of committing crimes against humanity during the armed conflict, including genocide, enforced disappearances, torture and sexual violence.

CoDev encourages our members and supporters to call on Canada’s Ambassador in Guatemala to condemn the break-in at the Women’s Sector, as well as other acts of intimidation against Women’s organizations in Guatemala.

Urgent Action: Colombia, Abuse of Force Against Protestors

CALL ON COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT IVAN DUQUE TO CEASE MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST INDIGENOUS PROTESTORS IN THE CAUCA REGION

March 28, 2019. Since March 10, thousands of indigenous people in Southwestern Colombia have mobilized in a Minga (community social mobilization) for “Life, Defense of the Territories and Peace.” The communities involved are demanding that President Ivan Duque make good on previous commitments around human rights, development, and the reigning-in of violence against community activists in the region. To date, the government response has been massive and ongoing repression of the Minga by the army and police.

CoDevelopment’s partner in Colombia – NOMADESC (Association for Research and Social Action) is appealing to supporters to urge President Ivan Duque Marquez to stop military-style actions against the Minga, and comply with human rights standards that the Colombian State has committed to uphold in international treaties.

NOMADESC and other human rights observers say both the Colombian army and specialized police have used the following tactics against communities involved in the protests:  Overflights of drones and helicopters, stun grenades and tear gas bombs; shootings with live ammunition, as well as burning the camps of the Minga participants.

The militarization of the territories where the Minga is taking place violates international human rights agreements of which the Colombian State is a signatory.  We encourage CoDev’s Canadian partners, members and supporters to take action on these events in Colombia.

Please add your voice by sending a message calling on Colombian President Ivan Duque:

• To stop employing military action as a response to community social demands.

• To make public the government’s human rights policy regarding Afro and Indigenous communities’ rights in accordance with the current human rights crisis.

• To investigate and identify those government officials responsible for the abuse of force against community members in the repression of the

You can also let NOMADESC and Minga participants know they are not alone by sending messages and photos of solidarity with the MINGA and human rights defenders.

Via Facebook to: Nomadesc: @AsociacionNomadesc Indigenous Regional Council from El Cauca: @cric.cauca

Use these hashtags: #SOSColombia #MngaSurOccidente2019 #DuqueVengaAlCauca #EnMingaPorElTerritorio #NacionParaLaVida #PoderParaLaGente #VamosAlParoNacional

Via Twitter: Nomadesc: @Nomadesc Indigenous Regional Council from El Cauca: @CRIC_Cauca

Use these hashtags:  #SumateALaMinga  #MingaCRIC  #MingaSocialSuroccidente  #MingaCRIDEC #MingaCRIHU

Urgent Action: Solidarity with Nicaraguan Women's Rights Organizations

Solidarity with Maria Elena Cuadra Movement of Employed and Unemployed Women (MEC), and other Nicaraguan women’s rights organizations.

Background

CoDev has received an appeal from our Nicaraguan partner MEC for letters of support for Nicaraguan feminist organizations following recent government actions against them.

On September 25, the Nicaraguan National Police surrounded MEC’s office in Managua, preventing employees from entering the building. Officers questioned MEC employees as to the whereabouts of the organization’s director Sandra Ramos. But when Sandra Ramos arrived approached the commander of the police operation, he refused to explain the police presence at the office. The police withdrew from the MEC office about four hours after the directors’ arrival.

This act of intimidation against MEC, an organization that accompanies women in marginalized communities and particularly those who work in the country’s Free Trade Zones, comes only a few days after statements from Nicaraguan Vice-President Rosario Murillo criticizing the country’s feminist movement. In public declarations September 16 and 18, the Vice-President accused the feminist movement of promoting abortions in the Women and Children’s Commissaries (special regional offices operated by the National Police to attend to complaints of violence against women and children) and compared feminists who call for the relaxation of Nicaragua’s strict abortion laws to perpetrators of recent acts of femicide in the country.

MEC director Sandra Ramos told CoDev that she believes these actions are linked to a new bill the government introduced that would require all organizations that receive any international funding to register as “foreign agents.” The “Law for the Regulation of Foreign Agents,” was introduced to the Nicaraguan legislature September 22. Critics of the bill fear it will be used by the government to further intervene in independent human, labour and women’s rights organizations.

Please follow this link for more information in English on this issue.

MEC is asking its supporters in Canada to send the following message to Nicaraguan authorities expressing concern about the recent acts of intimidation against women’s rights organizations.