This incident follows a series of threats and acts of intimidation against this woman and her family in April and May 1997, carried out by individuals presumed to be members of the security forces or those acting on their behalf. It is believed that these threats were related to her giving testimony to Amnesty International delegates who visited Guatemala in April 1997. The woman is the widow of an evangelical minister murdered in 1995, probably by security forces. Since then, she has been very active in pressing for those responsible for his death to be brought to justice.

Amnesty International is very concerned for the safety of this woman and her family and is calling on authorities of the Guatemalan government to take immediate measures to guarantee their safety and conduct full investigations into the acts of intimidation directed against them. Amnesty is also urging the authorities to determine who killed her husband and bring them to justice.

Background Information

In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, this woman's husband had been the coordinator of a Human Rights Committee in his community. He "disappeared" in June 1995 after being abducted by alleged members of the security forces, and his body was found about two weeks later in an unmarked grave. Residents of the community believe he was killed in reprisal for his human rights work and also because he was the sole witness to another committee member's abduction by security forces.

Other human rights activists have joined the woman and her family in pressing for those responsible for her husband's death to be brought to justice. As a result of their efforts, they have been subjected to a number of threats. To date, no one has been held responsible for those threats or for the death of her husband.

How you can help

Please send a letter to Guatemala's Minister of the Interior as soon as possible, but no later than January 13, 1998. You may use the sample letter linked below or use it as a model to write your own letter. If you choose to use the sample letter, please cut off or delete all website information at the very top of the letter. If you prefer to write your own letter, please keep in mind that its intent is to improve the human rights situation in the Guatemala. Make sure the letter is politely worded, non-partisan (i.e., not used as a vehicle for political expression) and written with respect for the recipient. Be sure to include both your name and address, as well as the date, on your letter.

U.S. airmail postage to Guatemala is 60 cents.