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CodyPhillipsProfessorKayJRN44711January2016

JusticeinGuatemala OntheirwayhomefromaMother’sDayserviceattheirchurchinGuatemalaCity,Griselda,hermotherandbrothersuddenlyjumpedoutofthewayasabluecarcutinfrontofthem.Leapingfromthecar,amangrabbed13-yearoldGriseldaandspedoff,leavingGriselda’sfamilyonlytoscreamforhelp.Motherandbrothertrackeddownapolicecarandscouredthestreetsofanearbyhigh-crimeneighborhooduntiltheyfinallyfoundthebluecar,withGriseldaandoneofthemeninside.Tearfully,sheadmittedthatshehadbeenrapedatgunpoint. Afterarrestingthedriverofthecarwhowasstillatthescene,andfilingareport,thepoliceinformedGriselda’sparentsofthelegalprocesstoconvictthedriverandtookhimintocustody.Herparentsunderstood,however,thatthepoliceforcewouldn’tbetrackingdowntheothertwoperpetrators—forlackofresources,forlackoftrainingorforlackoffollow-throughfromsuperiors.Thankfully,Griselda’sparentswereabletocontactaninternationaljusticeorganizationcalledtheInternationalJusticeMission(IJM),whichprovidedassistance,socialworkers,andinvestigatorstohelpGriseldaandherfamilythroughthetrial.IJM’sprivateinvestigatortrackeddowntheremainingtwoperpetrators,theirsocialworkersremainedwithGriseldaandthefamilyduringthetrialandconvictionsforallthreeperpetrators,andtheyultimatelyproclaimedaresoundingvictoryforthejusticeinGuatemala.

AnevangelicalChristiannonprofitorganizationbasedinWashingtonD.C,theInternationalJusticeMissionworksinGuatemalaandsixteenothernationsto“rescuethousands,protectmillionsandprovethatjusticeforthepoorispossible,”inthewordsoftheirmissionstatement.AsdemonstratedinthecaseofGriselda,theyspecializeinpartneringwithstatepoliceforces,judicialsystemofficials,attorneygeneral’sofficersandothers,inordertohalthumanrightsviolationsandprovidesecurityandhopeforthepoorandunderprivilegedwhoarethemostatriskofbeingtakenadvantageof.TheyhavechangedthecourseofthelivesofhundredsoffamilieslikeGriselda’swiththisstrategy,buttheirclosepartnershipsandrelianceonnationalgovernmentssetthemapartfromothernonprofitorganizations.SpecificallyinGuatemala,wherepoliticalupheavalandcorruptionhasmarkedthecountryfordecades,IJMfacestheextraordinarytaskofprovidingtheirservicesinawaythatactuallypromoteschangeinthemidstofabrokensystem.

Since2005,whentheyestablishedafieldofficeinGuatemala,IJMhasworkedtoprovideresources—suchasattorneys,privateinvestigators,andsocialworkers—andtraining—toequippoliceofficersforcriminalinvestigationandevidencecollecting—tofamiliesthatneedthem,withthegoalof“transformingthejusticesysteminGuatemala.”AsinthecaseofGriselda,theidealresultisprovidinghopeforabettertomorrow.

SeanLitton,theSeniorVicePresidentofJusticeOperationsatIJMnotedtotheNewportBeachIndependentinMay2015,“thefirstorderofbusinesswashelpingGriseldawithhertraumaandfear.Throughhoursofgentle,lovingtherapy,anIJMsocialworkerhelpedGriseldaworkthroughhertrauma.Griseldabegantorecover.Shebegantosmileandlaughagain.Shebegantogrowstrongagain.”

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ThisistheheartoftheMission.FounderGaryHaugenstatedinaspeechatFullerTheologicalSeminaryinNovember2014thatthecentraldoctrinethatdrivesIJM’sworkistheunderstandingthat“Godispassionateabouttheworldandpassionateabouthispeople,”asentimentwhichcomesfromthegospelofMatthewintheBible.Asministersofthiscreed,IJM’sstaffworktospreadGod’slovetothevoiceless,thedisenfranchised,andtheimpoverishedthroughtheirworktoreformjusticesystemsinternationally.

InGuatemala,IJMhasalreadyachievedsomepreliminarysuccessesinaddressingthesystemicsexualviolenceandabuseastheyhavepursuedthismission.Accordingtotheirwebsite,theyhavelobbiedforbetterlegislation,whichculminatedinthe2009passingofalawthatstrengthenedthedefinitionsfortraffickingandsexualassaultcrimes,andincreasedthepenaltiesagainstperpetrators.

Additionally,theyhavepartneredwithUNICEFtocreatebetterstandardsforinvestigationandprosecutionofcrimesagainstchildren(astandardwhichwasissuedbytheGuatemalanAttorneyGeneral),andusedthisstandardtotrainprosecutorsinthisnewpolicyunderthesupervisionoftheGuatemalanPublicMinistry.

IJMhaspartneredwithlocalauthoritiesandiscontinuingtoworkwiththemtoleadatrainingcourseofallGuatemalanjudgesonanewProtocol—passedbytheGuatemalanSupremeCourtin2013—whichmandateshowjudgesaretotreatchildreninsexcases.TheyutilizedinformationgainedfromexperiencegainedincasessuchasGriselda’stoadvocateandtrainjudgesintheuseofa“GesellChamber,”whichenablesjudgestodiscussissuesrelatedtothecasewithchildreninaseparate,safespace,outsideofthecourtroomandawayfromtheirattackers.Thesemethods,accordingtoSeanLitton,havealreadybecomeregularpracticeinthecountry,thankstoIJM’scontinuedpartnershipwiththeAttorneyGeneral.

Finally,andmostrecently,theyreceivedpermissionin2014tobegintrainingandoverseeingtheNationalPoliceSexCrimesUnit,aunitthatwasestablishedin2012toinvestigateandhandleallsexcrimesinthenation WhileIJMhasseensomesuccessesintheirpartnershipwiththegovernment,aswellasachievedsuccessfulresultsforhundredsofvictims,theirpledgetoworkingwithgovernmentoperatives,policeofficersandjusticesystemofficialshasposedsomestruggleswhenappliedtoGuatemala.

Tobesure,GuatemalaisanationrifewithopportunitiesforIJMtowork.HollyBurkhalter,aspecialadviserandformerVicePresidentofGovernmentRelationsandAdvocacyatIJMwritesondevex.comasapartoftheirDemocracyMatterscampaign,that“whenIJMbeganworkinginGuatemalatenyearsago,sexualviolenceagainstwomenandchildrenwascommonplace,butprosecutionsandconvictionsofperpetratorswereextremelyrare.Inafive-yearreviewofcourtfiles,IJMdiscoveredthatonly5.6percentof36,166complaintsofsexualassaultcases—ofadultsandchildren—everreachedaverdictintheGuatemalancourts.”

Becauseofsuchrampantabuses,theGuatemalaHumanRightsCommission(GHRC)callsGuatemala“themostdangerousplaceforwomeninallofLatinAmerica”inits2007reportonviolenceinGuatemala.Morethan3,000womenhavebeenmurderedsince2000,665ofwhichwerekilledin2005,andfewerthan2%ofsuchcasesendedinconvictions.

MarioAguilar,anElSalvadoranbybirthwhonowworksforChildren’sHungerFund,anevangelicalaidorganizationbasedinSouthernCaliforniathatworksinGuatemala,hasexperiencedthesituationinGuatemalafirst-handforoverthreedecades.

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HeacknowledgesthatthesocialandpoliticalsituationinGuatemalaissignificantlymorecomplexthanIJMmayevenrealize.

“InGuatemala,”Aguilarstates,“thereisauniquelayerofcorruptionwithinthecountry.Youwillseethatthepeopleinpowerdonothavechecksandbalancesoraccountability,sotheycanlargelydowhatevertheywant.Andthisisveryconnectedtothefactthatcivilwarshavedestroyedtheinfrastructureofthecountry.”

BecausemilitarypowerhashistoricallyreignedinGuatemala,high-rankinggovernmentofficialsholdmuchmoreauthoritythaninmostdemocracies.Thecitizens,whoaresupposedtoprovidethisaccountability,havebeenentirelyunabletocollectivizeandcreatechange,asthemajorityofpeoplearesimplystrugglingtosurviveduetothegangcontrolofsociety.

Aguilarcontinues,“Thegangsandcartelsareingovernment.Theyarecontrollinggovernmentofficials,throughtheirincredibleamountsofresources,becausethegovernmentisweakandcorrupt.”

AUNreportreleasedinSeptember2015bytheInternationalCommissionAgainstImpunityinGuatemalafoundthat25%ofcampaignfundsinthismostrecentelectioncamefromorganizedcrime.AndLauraCarlsen,anexpertonLatinAmericanpoliticsattheCenterforInternationalPolicy,reportedinanOctoberinterviewwithCCTVAmerica,that“[thatnumber]couldbejustthetipoftheiceberg,becauseit’sverydifficulttotrackthesekindsofthings,”

“Theysaynotonlythat25%isfromorganizedcrime,butthatthemajorityisfromdrugtraffickers.Inadditiontothat,some50%isfromcontractors,bothillegalandlegalcontractors.So,themajorityoffinancingtoGuatemalanpoliticalpartiesisfromillegalsources.”

ItiswithinthiscorruptenvironmentthatIJMhasbeenseekingtoworkforthepast10years,withscatteredresults,butadmittedly,limitedsystemicchange.Changemaybeonthehorizon,however.

InOctober,governmentalcorruptioncametoahead,asPresidentOttoPérezMolinaresignedandforcedhiscabinetandVicePresidenttoresignaswell,aftermonthsofcitizenprotestsandpublicdemonstrations.AllofthiscameontheheelsofaninvestigationbytheUN-sponsoredInternationalCommissionAgainstImpunityinGuatemala(CICIG),whichrevealedPérezMolina’sinvolvementincustomsfraud,racketeeringandbribery.

Inreactiontothisblatantcorruptionatthehighestlevel,thecountryelectedJimmyMorales,anevangelicalChristianrunningona“Christiannationalist”platform,withnopreviouspoliticalexperience,whomadehisnameasatelevisioncomedicactor.Hisplatformisdistinctlydifferentthanhispredecessorandhisopponentsashewaselectedasapoliticaloutsider,andranonthecampaignslogan“Neithercorruptnorathief.”

BoththeCICIG’sreportandtheresultingpeacefultransferofpowertoMoralesareencouragingsignsforthecountry,andforIJM,asthefirststeptowardsweakeningthecycleofcorruptionisempoweringthegeneralpublicandrestoringdemocraticprocesses.

TheCarterCenter’sstatementontherecentelectionstated,“theseelectionsserveasthestartingpointfornecessaryinstitutionaltransformationtoenablethecountrytoovercomethestructuralproblemsofthepartysystem,enhancethecredibilityofthebranchesofgovernment,andensurearealstrengtheningofinstitutionsthatmaybeabletorespondtothelegitimatedemandsofsociety.”

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Morales’electiondemonstratesthefirsttimeindecadeswherethenationalpublicspokeoutandshoweduptothepollstocreatechange.Thischangeonlycameabout,becauseoftheCICIG,whichhasworkedinGuatemalasinceMay2007withamandateto“supportthePublicProsecutor’sOffice,theNationalCivilPolice,andtheotherStateinstitutionsintheinvestigationofcrimescommittedbymembersofillegalsecurityforcesandclandestinesecuritystructures.”TheydiscoveredthecorruptioninPérezMolina’sadministration,reportedonit,andempoweredthenationalpublictoactonittoholdtheirleaderstoaccount.

Now,thecountrystandsreadyforchange.IsauraEscobar,theExecutiveDirectorandLegalRepresentativeofRocadeAyuda—

anevangelicalGuatemalanNGOthatworkstoprovidemedicalandnutritionalassistancethroughoutGuatemala—contextualizesthepublicsentiment.

“Thisguyisnotcorrupted,he’snottainted.Hecomesfromapoliticalparty,buthestandsalone,apartfromthecorruptregime.”

NotonlydoesthepublictrustMoralesandstandbehindhiminhiseffortsatreformingthegovernment,butEscobarhasalsoseenadifferentattitudetowardsworkingwithNGO’s.

“Withthepastadministration,interactionbetweenthegovernmentandNGO’swasveryminimal.But,IseethatchangingwiththisnewPresident.”

AndEscobardoesn’tjustsensethischange,buthasactuallybeeninvitedtomeetwiththePresidenthimselfinordertodiscusspossiblelegislationorgovernmentalactioninordertoallowforgreaterNGOinvolvementinthecountry.Morales’administrationseemsdedicatedtopartneringwithdomesticandinternationalNGO’sinhispursuitofreform.SoIJMstandstobenefitgreatlyfromthisnewstancetowardsNGO’s,andtowardsevangelicalinstitutionsinGuatemala. StanleyKatz,aProfessorofInternationalandDomesticPhilanthropyatPrincetonUniversity,however,providesawordofcaution.“Police,judges,andgovernmentofficialsareallexpressionsofthestate,andcarryanallegianceandconnectiontothatstate.Whenthesystemissosaturatedwithcorruption—asGuatemala’sgovernmenthashistoricallybeen—reformisoftenverydifficult.“ Withthatbeingsaid,IJM’spastsuccess,thesuccessesoftheCICIG,andtherecentelectionofJimmyMoralesprovideaglimmerofhopeforIJM’spursuitofjusticeinGuatemala.

Afterall,asMarioAguilarreminds,“Thepriorityofanyjusticesystemfixmustbeoncreatingalayerofaccountability.Andthatcanonlycomebyempoweringlocalcitizenstocarryoutthisaccountabilityontheirgovernment.Becausetheywilldotheworkforthelongterm.ThatistheonlyresolutionthatIcansee.”