UDEFEGUA Annual Report 2018 in Spanish

In terms of democratic regression and human rights abuses the situation recorded in 2018 has shown a clear increase in the level of violence against human rights defenders. In 2018 the Unit for the Protection of Defenders of Human Rights Defenders – Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) recorded a total of 392 attacks against human rights defenders.

Of particular concern is the number of 26 murders of human rights defenders, of which 21 were recorded from May onwards. To this barbarism, we must add the 18 attempted killings also recorded in 2018.

The Unit for the Protection of Defenders of Human Rights -Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) presents the Situation Report of individuals, communities and organizations that defend human rights in 2018.

This report is the product of the work of the areas of the Unit, which in addition to documenting assaults on human rights defenders, also work to assess the overall situation, support those who are pursuing legal complaints and who in various ways work to help those who were victims of violence .

For the last 18 years UDEFEGUA has been publishing reports on the different struggles and resistances, promoting and defending the human rights of the Guatemalan people. Based on this analysis UDEFEGUA wishes to highlight the trend of increasing violence against the community of human rights defenders.

This increase in attacks against individuals, organisations and human rights communities is also a reflection of the emergence of a strong movement to defend human rights in the country and, along with that, the growth of struggles and resistance of the peoples and communities who are demanding the construction of a society based on the values of adignified life, democracy, transparency, freedom, justice, truth, inclusion and equity.

UDEFEGUA wishes to acknowledge, through this report, all the people, collectives, organizations, communities, movements and peoples that day by day fight in favor of human rights, in a context of adversity, violence and repression.

We hope that the information contained in this report will also be useful for the generation of protection strategies and mechanisms, as well as national and international advocacy actions.

Jorge Santos