Freedom House is concerned by Guatemalan security forces’ excessive use of force to repress a social protest in Totonicapán, Guatemala last week and calls for a thorough investigation into the incident. Freedom House urges the Guatemalan government to use peaceful means to maintain order during protests, and to promote dialogue with indigenous communities.
Nearly two years after a wave of popular uprisings began in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a lack of substantive institutional reform has left states struggling to maintain democratic achievements, according to a new Freedom House report. The findings illuminate reform failures that have contributed to recent violence across the MENA region.
On August 16, 2010, the anti-TIP (Trafficking In Persons) network, which Freedom House assisted in creating as part of its “Actions to Combat Human Trafficking in Guatemala” project, held a press conference with representatives from all 18 member organizations to urge the national government to fully employ the existing legal framework for prosecution of trafficking crimes and protection of victims by providing adequate funding and resources to the Ministry of Sexual Violence, Exploitation and Trafficking (SVET).
