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CAMINOS
CAMINOS
actively advocates for peace and justice in Guatemala |
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Background |
| Guatemala's
36-year civil war led to the death and disappearance of more
than 200,000 Guatemalan civilians and created hundreds of thousands
of refugees and displaced people, most of whom were indigenous
Maya. |
CAMINOS
was created in 1996 to respond to a request for human
rights observers or accompaniers by the "Communities of
Population in Resistance of the Sierra" (CPR-Sierra).
The people of the CPR-Sierra are Ixil and K'iche' Mayas who
survived the Guatemalan Army's "scorched earth campaign"
of the 1980s and fled to remote forests and mountains. For 15
years they struggled to survive; many died from army attacks,
illness, hunger and exposure. At the end of the war, with the
help of international support and human rights accompaniers,
the CPR-Sierra families came out of hiding to establish new
communities across the country.
An international presence in Guatemala has become even more
important since 2000 as courageous survivors brought legal cases
to a Guatemalan court. They are charging former military dictators
with genocide against the indigenous population.
The witnesses in these cases have formed the Association for
Justice and Reconciliation and have requested international
accompaniment. CAMINOS has shifted its focus
to accompaniment for these witnesses as long as it is necessary. |
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"We
deserve justice. We will continue to struggle until we have
it.
As long as I'm alive, I will look to that day."
- Jacinta Raymundo, witness in genocide case
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| What
CAMINOS Does |
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Provides human rights accompaniers for witnesses testifying
in genocide cases.
• Responds to human rights abuses in Guatemala through
an Urgent Action Network.
• Facilitates exchanges between people of Guatemala
and the US.
• Educates Coloradans and elected representatives about
current and historic issues in
Guatemala. |
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| CAMINOS
has national affiliations |
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We are a Guatemala Accompaniment Project (GAP) Sponsoring
Community. GAP is a
national program of the Network
in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA)
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