Guatemala: Information on an organization called FUNDEPAZGUA said to have been formed in 1981 for the purpose of bringing modern health care and literacy to indigenous people, its links with the Catholic Church, its operations in the town of Antigua and the treatment of its members by the military
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GTM28982.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Guatemala: Information on an organization called FUNDEPAZGUA said to have been formed in 1981 for the purpose of bringing modern health care and literacy to indigenous people, its links with the Catholic Church, its operations in the town of Antigua and the treatment of its members by the military, 1 March 1998, GTM28982.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad1258.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Four human rights organizations (details below) contacted between 17 and 19 March 1998, had no information on an organization called FUNDEPAZGUA. However, the director of the indigenous rights department of the Centre for Human Rights Legal Action (Centro para Acción Legal en Derechos HumanosCALDH), stated that he had heard the name of the organization but knew nothing of its past activities or current existence (17 March 1998).
The four human rights organizations which were contacted are : The Centre for Human Rights Legal Action (Centro para Acción Legal en Derechos HumanosCALDH), a Guatemala City-based non- governmental organization. CALDH is a widely known and well-respected human rights group in and outside Guatemala. It has an indigenous rights department.
The legal department of the Archbishop's Office for the Defense of Human Rights (Oficina de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos del Arzobispado de GuatemalaODHAG) in Guatemala City. ODHAG is internationally known as one of the most important human rights defence groups in Guatemala for its numerous investigations of human rights abuses.
The Guatemala City-based Human Rights Commission of Guatemala (Comisión de Derechos Humanos de GuatemalaCDH) is member of the International Federation of Human Rights (Federación Internacional de Derechos HumanosFIDH) and of the Central American Commission for the Defense of Human Rights (Comisión para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos en CentroaméricaCODEHUCA).
The Washington-based Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) is a non-profit, non-partisan, humanitarian organization that monitors the human rights situation in Guatemala. The GHRC publishes the biweekly Human Rights Update of current violations in Guatemala.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Centro para Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos (CALDH), Guatemala City. 17 March 1998. Telephone interview with the director.
Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala (CDH), Guatemala City. 19 March 1998. Telephone interview with the director.
Guatemal Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC), Washington, DC. 19 March 1998. Telephone interview with the director.
Oficina de los Derechos Humanos del Arzobispado de Guatemala (ODHAG), Guatemala City. 18 March 1998. Telephone interview with the director of the legal department.
Additional Sources Consulted
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS).
Electronic Sources: Internet, Lexis-Nexis.
