The country continues to face high levels of violence associated with both electoral politics and common crime. Guatemala’s weak and corrupt law enforcement institutions have proven incapable of containing the powerful organized crime groups that, among other things, are believed responsible for continuing attacks on human rights defenders.

Guatemalan legislators should protect all families by voting against the “Integral Protection for Marriage and Family Act,” Human Rights Watch urged today in a letter to the Guatemalan Congress.

On behalf of Human Rights Watch, I urge you to vote against the approval of the “Integral Protection for Marriage and Family Act.” This legislative initiative would write discriminatory treatment of families into law.

The Guatemalan authorities should promptly and thoroughly investigate the killing of José Emanuel Méndez Dardón, the son of a prominent human rights advocate, Human Rights Watch said today.

Domestic workers face a wide range of grave abuses and labor exploitation, including physical and sexual abuse, forced confinement, non-payment of wages, denial of food and health care and excessive working hours with no rest days.

Ongoing rights abuses are undermining efforts to fight the HIV pandemic and threatening the few, hard-won successes, Human Rights Watch said today, a month before the XVI International AIDS Conference opens in Toronto.

The Guatemalan government must take immediate steps to stop a pattern of deadly attacks and possible police violence against transgender women and gay men, and end impunity for these crimes, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Guatemalan President Oscar Berger.

I am writing in regard to disturbing reports that we have received of repeated acts of violence against and intimidation of transgender women, lesbians, and gay men in Guatemala. We are particularly concerned about the December 17 attack that left Juan Pablo Menéndez Cartagena (known as Paulina) dead and Kevin Robles (known as Sulma) seriously wounded, and the credible reports we have received that the perpetrators of this brutal killing were police officers. We respectfully urge you to take appropriate steps to ensure that there is a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation of these crimes and that those responsible for them are brought to justice.