Montreal, December 21, 2000
Doctora Rigoberta Menchú Tum
Premio Nóbel de la Paz 1992
Fundación Rigoberta Menchú
Dear Dr. Menchú,
We would like to let you know that we have been following in detail the latest events in Spain. We are referring to the demand presented by you last December at the Courts in Spain (Audiencia Nacional de España), against those responsible for the genocide of the Maya people of Guatemala. We have been informed of the decision against it dictated by that tribunal. We would like to let you and the team of the Rigoberta Menchú Foundation, know our reaction to that decision:
- We are in total disagreement with the decision of the Spanish tribunal because we share with you the urgent need of justice for the people of Guatemala. Guatemalans have been victims of genocide, State terrorism, and forced disappearance and torture. The tragedy of these people is more than evident with more than 200,000 deaths and 150,000 disappeared, and the impact on the social fabric.
- We are totally convinced that, in Guatemala, they do not have the minimal conditions for the state to bring these genocidal criminals to justice. The Guatemalan justice system is weak, non-functional and discredited, and the accused have all kind of privileges, even immunity (Rios Montt), despite the heroic efforts of the civil and popular society to change this state of affairs.
- You have our solidarity and support for all the actions that the Menchú Foundation will take in order to obtain a rectification of the decision of the Spanish court of justice, since they have recognized that they have jurisdiction on the matter. Their decision was based on the assumption that it is possible to bring the genocidal criminals to justice in Guatemala, but this is not a serious basis for rejecting a demand that will be historically important for the future of human rights.
- We exhort all the international human rights organizations, the international jurists community, and the international community in general, to express their disagreement with the resolution of the Spanish tribunal. We should unite our efforts to obtain a revision of the case that would include objective criteria. These criteria should be coherent with the reality of countries such as Guatemala, which have been victims of the pain of war, abuse and barbarism with total lack of respect for the human being. As well, we are asking the international community to increase its monitoring of Guatemala because the acts of intimidation against human rights activists may increase as a triumphal sign of the genocidal criminals.
- We are completely convinced that the Foundation jurists' team, as well as all the jurists that have become part of this historic mission, will be able to contest the decision of the Spanish tribunal. This decision is only momentary, the struggle has just started and we have the firm conviction that the reason and the law are on your side, therefore your petitions of justice will be listened to by the whole world.
Sincerely
Joan Tuck
President, Social Justice Committee Board of Directors