Guatemala: Activities of a group at the University of San Carlos called "Asociación Oliverio Castañeda de León," including demonstrations in 2001, and whether the group has been targeted by the state (1996-2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 12 July 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GTM39208.E |
| Reference | 5 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Guatemala: Activities of a group at the University of San Carlos called "Asociación Oliverio Castañeda de León," including demonstrations in 2001, and whether the group has been targeted by the state (1996-2002), 12 July 2002, GTM39208.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be3914.html [accessed 27 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. |
The full name of the University Students Association (Asociación de Estudiantes Universitarios, AEU) at the University of San Carlos (USAC) in Guatemala is "Asociación de Estudiantes Universitarios Oliverio Castañeda de León" (AAAS 11 June 2001, Ann. 3; Radio Reloj 29 June 2002; Prensa Libre 25 May 2002). No reference to another student association in that university carrying the name Oliverio Castañeda de León could be found among the sources consulted.
For background information on the AEU, its recent activities, and abuses suffered by its members in previous years, please refer to GTM38342.E of 26 April 2002, GTM29774.E of 24 July 1998, and other earlier Responses.
This Response focuses on reported activities of the AEU in 2001 and 2002, including its participation in the traditional Huelga de Dolores. On this yearly event and the AEU after the extensive state repression of the 1980s, one source states:
In the early 1990s, the AEU limited itself to promoting cultural and sports activities as a way of regaining the confidence of the student body, a good part of which feared the consequences of associating with a movement that so clearly attracted the attention of the State's repressive forces.
But as in years past, Guatemalans could count on San Carlos students to mock and criticize the regime's policies in their traditional comic march, la Huelga de Dolores (AAAS 1999, Sec. 3.12).
In the days preceding the 2000 Huelga de Dolores, the AEU came under criticism from various human rights organizations of Guatemala, including the Mutual Support Group (Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo, GAM) and the Archbishop's Office of Human Rights (Oficina de Derechos Humanos del Arzobispado, ODHA), due to abuses committed by hooded students reportedly involved in the event (Prensa Libre 23 Mar. 2000). Their actions included violent attacks against alleged criminals, hijacking of buses to attend events outside the capital, and intimidating citizens into contributing money for the event (ibid.). A total of 43 students were arrested, and approximately 60 students wearing hoods reportedly demonstrated in front of the National Civilian Police (Policía Nacional Civil, PNC) headquarters and the National Culture Palace (Palacio Nacional de la Cultura), to protest the "persecution of students" (persecusión de los estudiantes) and demand the release of those they described as "political prisoners" (presos políticos) (ibid.).
In February 2001 the secretary general of the AEU, Jorge Mario Garcia, reported that his organization's members would work with the support of the capital's municipal government to crack down on public transport buses found overcharging (ibid. 9 Feb. 2001).
In March 2001, the AEU requested from the University Superior Council (Consejo Superior Universitario, CSU) a no-confidence vote against the USAC university rector (ibid. 16 Mar. 2001a). The request was due to comments made by the rector on the appointment of a particular judge to the country's Constitutional Court-comments which were reportedly deemed inappropriate by the AEU and various members of the CSU; however, a majority of CSU members decided not to vote to suspend the rector (ibid.).
On 15 March 2001, Jorge Mario Garcia came under criticism for receiving, on behalf of his organization, a donation of Q30,000 (Quetzales) from President Alfonso Portillo, to help finance the activities of the 2001 Huelga de Dolores (ibid. 16 March 2001b). Traffic was reportedly stopped around the presidential mansion for two hours on 15 March 2001 due to the presence of students surrounding the site during the ceremony in which the money was given to Garcia and various members of the event's main organizing committee (Honorable Comité de Huelga) (ibid.). Some organizing sub-committees "disowned" (desconocieron) Garcia and the main organizing committee and voiced their criticism openly during the event, which took place on 6 April 2001 (ibid. 7 Apr. 2001). Garcia and the main organizing committee reportedly did not take part in the event (ibid.). The march itself came under criticism, not only for the rift arising from the presidential donation, but also for a student who fired shots during the march and injured an onlooking public servant (ibid. 8 Apr. 2001).
A mid-2001 interview with AEU secretary general Jorge Mario Garcia describes the organization as having lost its "rallying power" (poder de convocatoria) but continuing to "take to the streets" (sigue luchando en las calles), with the Value Added Tax (VAT) and the "national dialogue" (diálogo nacional) as two of its main issues of concern (ibid. 29 July 2001). In the interview, Garcia attributed diminished militancy in the AEU and other popular organizations to an "era of indifference" (época de indiferencia) and a fear resulting from the political presence of [former dictator and current congressional leader] Efrain Rios Montt (ibid.). The AEU had been involved in dialogues with the umbrella business group named Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (Comité Coordinador de Asociaciones Agrícolas, Comerciales, Industriales y Financieras, CACIF) to protest an increase in the VAT; Garcia stated that the AEU and CACIF coincided in their goals, but represented different interests (ibid.). The AEU publicly argued that taxation should be proportional to an individual's capacity to pay-a position shared by the National Advancement Party (Partido de Avanzada Nacional, PAN), which presented on its own a court challenge against the VAT increase (CAR 24 Aug. 2001).
Please see GTM39207.E of 9 July 2002 for additional information on 31 July-2 August 2001 demonstrations against the VAT. After these demonstrations, the AEU embarked in a collection of signatures to support a petition before the Constitutional Court to have the government rescind the VAT increase, while 12 persons held a hunger strike outside the Court (Prensa Libre 8 Aug. 2001). The petition was supported by various organizations grouped under the Social Organizations Collective (Colectivo de Organizaciones Sociales) (ibid.). The AEU had scheduled a number of cultural activities outside the Constitutional Court for the night of Friday, 10 August 2001, in support of the hunger strike (ibid.).
Various other organizations in the country joined the AEU in its petition, including the GAM, the Centre for the Defence of the Constitution (Centro para la Defensa de la Constitución, CEDECON) and the Dignity Front of Retalhuleu (Frente de la Dignididad de Retalhuleu) (ibid. 10 Aug. 2001). The hunger strike, carried out by 12 university students and unionized teachers who sat in the parking lot of the Constitutional Court, concluded after 10 days, amid a demonstration by the AEU and various union, student and popular organizations; by then, the AEU had collected more than 50,000 signatures for its petition, and was expected to continue gathering more signatures (ibid. 16 Aug. 2001).
On 3 January 2002 President Portillo met with Jorge Mario Garcia, to discuss the need for a national dialogue "to facilitate the governability of the country" (para lograr la gobernabilidad en el país), and agree to the participation of students in an upcoming national census (ibid. 4 Jan. 2002). A few days later, the AEU requested judge Cipriano Soto Tobar, the USAC appointment to the Constitutional Court, to vote to declare unconstitutional a new law demanding from journalists recognition by a professional association (colegiación) as a working prerequisite (ibid. 10 Jan. 2002).
On 24 May 2002 the secretary general of AEU, Jorge Mario Garcia, received from President Portillo, on behalf of the student organization, the Order of the Quetzal (Orden del Quetzal), granted in recognition of AEU's role and achievements in the political life of the country through several decades (ibid. 25 May 2002). A small group of students reportedly demonstrated outside the National Palace of Culture, where the ceremony was taking place, and shouted slogans (consignas) against President Portillo and Garcia (ibid.).
More recently, members of the AEU were one of at least three Guatemalan groups that reportedly expressed their support and solidarity for Cuba and its revolution, and for five Cubans arrested and prosecuted in the United States on charges of espionage (Radio Reloj 29 June 2002).
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
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) [Maryland]. 11 June 2001. Guatemala: Memoria del Silencio. _____. 1999. Paul Kobrak. Organizing and Repression in the University of San Carlos, Guatemala, 1944 to 1996. Central America Report (CAR) [Guatemala City]. 24 August 2001. "Guatemala: Dialogue Still in the Wings." Prensa Libre [Guatemala City]. 25 May 2002. Olga López. "Condecoran a la AEU." _____. 10 January 2002. Sonia Pérez. "AEU pide derogar ley." _____. 4 January 2002. "Alfonso Portillo y AEU se reúnen." _____. 16 August 2001. Alberto Ramírez. "Finaliza ayuno de AEU." _____. 10 August 2001. Alberto Ramírez. "Retaltecos presentan recurso en la CC." _____. 8 August 2001. Alberto Ramírez and Pedro Pop. "AEU busca apoyo contra alza de IVA." _____. 29 July 2001. Teresa López. "'La historia va a juzgar al FRG'-Para la AEU, el tema detrás del IVA es la reelección de Efraín Ríos Montt." _____. 8 April 2001. Juan Carlos Lemus. "El Desfile Bufo 103." _____. 7 April 2001. Danilo Valladares and Teresa López. "El Honorable quedó fuera." _____. 16 March 2001a. Maite Garmendía. "Fracasa voto de desconfianza." _____. 16 March 2001b. Pedro Pop. "Portillo donó Q30 mil a AEU." _____. 9 February 2001. "Transporte: Municipalidad y AEU en operaciones." _____. 23 March 2000. Erick Campos and Julio Lara. "Piden a la AEU ejercer control." Radio Reloj, Havana. 29 June 2002. "Solidaridad de Organizaciones Guatemaltecas."
