Archive for August 5th, 2007

Guatemalan Approves CICIG

| August 5th, 2007

This is clip from Guatevision's news broadcast on 01-08-07 about the CICIG decision. This is how Human Rights First described the decision on CICIG in Guatemala:

“The Guatemalan Congress vote August 1 to approve an international commission of experts to help investigate and prosecute organized crime is a groundbreaking decision, according to Human Rights First, a New York-based international human rights organization.”

“Approval today of the joint Guatemalan – United Nations Commission against Impunity (CICIG) brings to a close almost five years' worth of wrangling over its establishment. The hybrid Commission is the first of its kind and has important functions to determine the extent of the illegal security organizations and their relations with State entities. It will also strengthen Guatemalan judicial institutions by assisting in the investigation and prosecution of such groups.”

“The relatively small Commission will be headed by an individual appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General. It will consist of both international and Guatemalan investigators, forensic experts, prosecutors and jurists familiar with human rights, criminal and international law. It will have a renewable mandate of two years.”

El Periodico pieces together the story of how the CICIG finally came together:

La tormenta se hizo perfecta de una manera insólita. En los seis diputados integrantes de la Unión del Cambio Nacionalista (UCN) que asistieron al pleno esa mañana del miércoles 1 de agosto, quedó la decisión. Tras titubeos, llamadas telefónicas y discusiones entre dos de ellos en los pasillos, hicieron la mayoría calificada. Así se escribió esa historia y, el día después, arrancaron los cabildeos en Nueva York para que la CICIG tenga cara y agenda.

The UN representative Beat Rohr estimates that it's going to take 6-12 months for the CICIG to get started:

El coordinador residente del sistema de las Naciones Unidas en Guatemala, Beat Rohr, calculó hoy que tomará de seis a doce meses el inicio del trabajo de la Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad, que se encargará de investigar a los grupos clandestinos en ese país.

Ayer, el Congreso guatemalteco aprobó un decreto que da la luz verde a esa entidad responsabilidad de la ONU.

Rohr explicó que estará encabezada por un Comisionado nombrado por el Secretario General de la ONU, Ban Ki-moon, una vez que el presidente guatemalteco sancione el decreto y que la cancillería avise a las Naciones Unidas que puede proceder.

Here's more from the UN website in English about the progress of CICIG.

Background

Roberto Garretón wrote this in El Periodico about the CICIG. He's in the Comité Asesor  of Secretary General of the UN against the Prevention of Genocide.

Photo: Guatevision – Noticias

The way presidential candidate after presidential candidate came on board before the CICIG vote in Congress to support, has all the feel of an important shift in the tide in Guatemalan politics. The sight of Rios Montt and his daughter not getting their way and not being able to game the Guatemalan political system for once is a remarkable moment in its own right.
 
Efrain Rios Montt during his time as President of Guatemala 1982-3 addressing the country in one of his many infamous television broadcasts  Photo: When The Mountains Tremble

Impunity is the issue.

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