As the Obama Administration defines its Western Hemisphere policies, we believe that U.S. policy towards Guatemala should strengthen its focus on human rights. Particular attention should be paid to bringing the perpetrators of mass atrocities to justice, protecting human rights defenders, strengthening labor rights, and supporting the efforts of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) to investigate and prosecute organized crime and develop Guatemalan judicial capacities to address this escalating problem.
The following memo, written by a group of human rights and policy groups, outlines these priorities for the Obama Administration and its officials regarding Guatemala.
