Photo: Memorial to Andres Francisco Miguel, another human rights defender who was assasinated in Guatemala. Miguel was a community leader in Barillas, Huehuetenango, who was killed in May 2012. Photo by Danielle DeLuca

Cultural Survival condemns the assassination of Guatemalan human rights defender Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima on 12 November, 2016.

Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima was the Assistant to the Executive Director of the Guatemalan Centre for Legal, Environmental and Social Action (CALAS). In the afternoon of 12 November, unknown assailants shot the 22 year old twice in the head in Guatemala City, Zone 1, a busy central district. The perpetrators did not steal his personal effects, which included two cellphones, his identity card, and a savings card. According to information provided by the Guatemalan Centre for Legal, Environmental and Social Action (CALAS), Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima did not receive any threats in the days prior to the murder. The Unit of Crimes against Life of the General Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía de Delitos contra la Vida) is in charge of the investigation. CALAS has requested to move the responsibility for the investigation into the Unit of Attacks against Human Rights Activists (Unidad de Ataques contra Activistas de Derechos Humanos). Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima was a former student leader and human rights campaigner. As an Assistant to the Executive Director of CALAS, he was in charge of managing sensitive information related to the high profile cases CALAS is litigating. The investigation into his murder should explore the possibility that he was killed in retaliation for his legitimate human rights work.

This assassination comes in a period of numerous cases of violence and intimidation against human rights and environmental defenders in Guatemala. According to statistics from UDEGEGUA, violence and intimidation has increased in intensity in Guatemala, although decreasing in number. In 2015 there were 493 cases of reported violence against human rights and environmental defenders in Guatemala. Of which, 13 human rights defenders were murdered, 8 attempted murder, 92 cases of torture and 159 cases of criminalization.

Indigenous human rights defenders are especially targeted. In 2014 Indigenous human rights and environmental defenders were 8 times more likely to be killed for their work than non-Indigenous defenders, according to data from Global Witness. Internationally, 2015 marked the highest death toll yet for rights defenders, according to a new report by Global Witness On Dangerous Ground which found that more than three people were killed a week in 2015 defending their land, forests and rivers against destructive industries across 16 countries.

Cultural Survival and our sister organization Asociación Sobrevivencia Cultural call on the Presidential Human Rights Commission COPREDEH, and Attorney General Thelma Aldana to initiate a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the murder of Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima, to identify both the material and intellectual perpetrators and bring those responsible to justice. The investigation should include the hypothesis of the assassination being a possible retaliation for the human rights work of the young leader and his activities in CALAS.

We call on Guatemalan authorities to advance in the adoption of a Public Policy to Protect Defenders in accordance with the minimum criteria set out by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case Human Rights Defender v. Guatemala.

We ask Attorney General Thelma Aldana and COPREDEH to publicly condemn the assassination of the Barrios Lima, and recognize the important and legitimate work of human rights defenders.

Our deepest condolences to the family of Jeremy Barrios Lima and to the CALAS staff.

For more information and to take action click here.

Read Cultural Survival’s letter to Guatemalan authorities

Tweet to COPREDEH and Thelma Aldana:

@COPREDEH @MPguatemala Exigimos una política pública para la protección de las defensorxs de los #derechoshumanos en #Guatemala

The following are radio programs produced by Cultural Survial's Indigenous Rights Radio program, covering the topic of Indigenous Human Rights and Environmental Defenders in Latin America. Listen, in Spanish, below.

Defensores de Derechos Indígenas; Vida, Sacrificios y Logros

El trabajo de las y los defensores de Derechos Indígenas hoy ha tomado fuerza en muchos países, y ha recibido el reconocimiento y apoyo nacional e internacional. En esta ocasión hacemos un recorrido por Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua y Bolivia registrando parte de las luchas de las y los Defensores de Derechos Indígenas destacando su vida, sacrificios y logros.

En esta programa usted encontrará entrevistas con los activistas Angelica Poncé y Jaime Fernández de Bolivia, Daniel Pascual Hernández de Guatemala y con el Nicaragüense Brooklyn Rivera además hacemos remembranza de las palabras de Bertha Cáceres, a quien su vida le fue arrebatada por mantenerse fuerte contra las violaciones de derechos humanos e indígenas que sufre el pueblo Indígena Lenca en Honduras.

Esta es una producción de Cultural Survival a cargo de Rossy González en Guatemala. Agradecemos la musicalización autorías de Balam Ajpu de quien utilizamos 3 temas: 7 Noj, 14 Kat, 19 Tooj, también en este trabajo usted podrá apreciar “Plegaria a la Pacha Mama” y Warmigu, Yarina.

Esperamos pueda descargar y compartir con sus contactos. La lucha de los Pueblos Indígenas continúa, y estando unidos e informados seremos más fuertes.