H.I.J.0.S.
      Raises
      Awareness
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Erin
      FAGAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Because
      we
      are
      children
      of
      living
      ghosts,
      of
      people
      who
      became
      invisible
      ..
      .”
     
     
      (Excerpt
      from
      “Collective
      Substratum,"
      written
      by
      members
      of
      HIJOS)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      the
      evening
      of
      Friday,
     
     
      September
      13th,
      just
      under
      fifty
      people
     
     
      came
      to
      the
      AVC
      lecture
      hall
      A
      for
      a
     
     
      public
      presentation
      by
      two
      young
     
     
      human
      rights
      activists
      from
      Guatemala
     
     
      Citys
     
     
      Marina
      Gomez
      and
      Erick
     
     
      Fortin,
      aged
      18
      and
      20
      respectively,
     
     
      were
      at
      UPEI
      as
      part
      of
      a
      speaking
     
     
      tour
      of
      the
      Maritimes
      (coordinated
      by
     
     
      the
      Breaking
      the
      Silence
      Network,
      and
     
     
      organized
      on
      PEI
      by
      the
      Oxfam
     
     
      Committee).
      As
      members
      of
      a
      youth
     
     
      human
      rights
      collective
      called
      HIJOS
     
     
      (Hijos
      e
      Hijas
      por
      la
      Identidad
      y
      la
     
     
      Justicia
      Contra
      el
      Olvida
      yel
      Silencio,
     
     
      or
      Sons
      and
      Daughters
      for
      Identity,
     
     
      Justice,
      Remembrance
      and
      Against
     
     
      Silence),
      they
      were
      here
      to
      inform
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      about
      the
      situation
      in
      their
      country
     
     
      and
      of
      their
      ongoing
      work
      for
      human
     
     
      rights
      and
      social
      justice.
     
    

    
     
      "It
      is
      very
      important
      that
     
     
      you've
      been
      here
      tonight,"
      Marina
     
     
      Gomez
      told
      the
      audience
      (through
      the
     
     
      assistance
      of
      local
      translator,
      Joe
      _
     
     
      Byrne),
      "It
      is
      important
      for
      you
      to
      tell
     
     
      other
      people
      about
      it,
      to
      read,
      to
     
     
      research,
      to
      know
      what
      goes
      on
      in
      the
     
     
      whole
      world,
      and
      to
      not
      let
      the
      main-
     
     
      stream
      media
      take
      advantage."
     
    

    
     
      HIJOS
      Guatemala
      is
      made
      up
     
     
      by
      young
      people
      between
      the
      ages
      of
     
     
      18
      and
      27,
      most
      of
      whom
      had
      parents
     
     
      or
      relatives
      who
      were
      "disappeared"
     
     
      during
      Guatemala's
      violent
      civil
      war
     
     
      period.
      Their
      activity
      involves
      thera-
      |
     
     
      peutic
      and
      creative
      social
      protest
     
     
      against
      state
      and
      military
      violence,
      as
     
     
      well
      as
      the
      promotion
      of
      peace
      and
     
     
      justice
      in
      Guatemala.
     
    

    
     
      Their
      group,
      with
      twenty
      per-
     
     
      manently
      active
      members,
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      several
      HIJOS
      groups
      in
      Latin
     
     
      American
      countries
      such
      as
      Argentina
     
     
      and
      Chile.
     
    

    
     
      The
      presentation
      was
      prefaced
     
     
      by
      a
      short
      video
      made
      by
      an
      affiliated
     
     
      group
      called
      FAMDEGUA
      (Relatives
     
     
      Of
      The
      "Disappeared"
      People
      Of
     
     
      Guatemala)
      in
      1995.
      It
      was
      a
      starkly
     
     
      revealing
      film
      about
      a
      forensic
      investi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      gation
      at
      the
      site
      of
      a
      1982
      massacre
     
     
      (one
      of
      about
      600)
      in
      a
      village
      (one
      of
     
     
      over
      200)
      called
      Las
      Dos
      Erres,
      where
     
     
      a
      minimum
      of
      162
      individual
      remains:
     
     
      were
      found
      at
      the
      bottom
      of
      an
      aban-
     
     
      doned
      well
      (42
      of
      remains
      were
      deter-
     
     
      mined
      to
      be
      those
      of
      children
      under
      the
     
     
      age
      of
      twelve,
      with
      an
      average
      age
      of
     
     
      7).
     
    

    
     
      After
      the
      film
      ended,
      Gomez
     
     
      displayed
      documents
      from
      human
     
     
      rights
      investigations
      compiled
      in
      the
     
     
      aftermath
      of
      the
      war.
      She
      explained
     
     
      that
      over
      45,000
      people
      disappeared,
     
     
      over
      a
      million
      people
      (predominantly
     
     
      indigenous
      Mayan)
      were
      displaced,
     
     
      and
      about
      200,000
      people
      were
      killed
     
     
      over
      the
      course
      of
      the
      conflict.
     
    

    
     
      She
      cited
      a
      report
      entitled
     
     
      Guatemala:
      Memory
      of
      Silence,
      pre-
     
     
      pared
      by
      a
      commission
      involved
      with
     
     
      the
      1996
      Peace
      Accords,
      which
      deter-
     
     
      mined
      that
      93%
      of
      the
      violence
      was
     
     
      perpetrated
      by
      the
      state
      due
      to
      exag-
     
     
      gerated
      suspicions
      of
      Marxist
      guerilla
     
     
      activity.
      The
      report
      had
      compiled
      over
     
     
      14
      volumes
      of
      witness
      testimony.
     
     
      Another
      document,
      a
      leaked
      military
     
     
      file
      released
      by
      a
      retired
      general
      living
     
     
      in
      the
      U.S.,
      contained
      information
      on
     
     
      over
      180
      people
      who
      were
      later
      killed
     
     
      or
      disappeared.
     
    

    
     
      Gomez
      also
      explained
      that,
     
     
      although
      eleven
      people
      were
      accused
     
     
      of
      the
      Las
      Dos
      Erres
      murders,
      none
     
     
      have
      been
      brought
      to
      justice
      in
      the
      past
     
     
      twenty
      years.
      General
      Efrain
      Rios
     
     
      Montt,
      who
      was
      president
      during
      that
     
     
      peak
      period
      of
      violence,
      is
      currently
     
     
      Guatemala's
      President
      of
      Congress.
     
    

    
     
      After
      the
      Peace
      Accords
      were
     
     
      signed
      in
      1996,
      explained
      Gomez,
     
     
      young
      people
      whose
     
     
      families
      were
      murdered
      or
      disappeared
     
     
      returned
      from
      exile
      and
      formed
      a
      col-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      '
      lective
      so
      that
      they
      could
      share
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      experiences
      from
      the
      war.
      Many
      peo-
     
     
      ple,
      she
      added,
      remain
      silenced
      by
      fear,
     
     
      pressured
      or
      threatened
      by
      those
      who
     
     
      remain
      untouched
      by
      the
      legal
      system.
     
     
      In
      May
      of
      1999,
      with
      the
     
     
      peace
      accords
      still
      largely
      unimple-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mented,
      their
      chapter
      of
      HIJOS
     
     
      became
      public.
      The
      first
      peaceful
     
     
      demonstration
      took
      place
      on
      June
      30th
     
     
      of
      that
      year,
      which
      is
      celebrated
      as
     
     
      Army
      Day
      in
      that
      country.
     
    

    
     
      Fortin,
      also
      translated
      by
     
     
      Byrne,
      began
      to
      show
      overheads
      of
     
     
      graffiti
      art
      created
      by
      HIJOS
      through-
     
     
      out
      Guatemala
      City.
     
    

    
     
      "It's
      very
      important
      not
      to
      for-
     
     
      get
      what
      has
      happened
      to
      us,"
      Fortin
     
     
      stated,
      "Graffiti
      is
      the
      free
      public
      press
     
     
      and
      reflects
      the
      national
      attitude."
     
    

    
     
      He
      added
      that
      the
      national
     
     
      press
      is
      either
      very
      select
      or
      self-cen-
     
     
      sored
      out
      of
      fear.
     
    

    
     
      Their
      art
      has
      had
      some
      impact,
     
     
      he
      said,
      since
      many
      of
      their
      works
      are
     
     
      covered
      up
      or
      removed
      within
      a
      week
     
     
      or
      a
      month.
      "And
      who
      else
      would
     
     
      have
      the
      resources
      to
      just
      paint
      over
     
     
      what
      we're
      painting?"
     
    

    
     
      When
      a
      member
      of
      the
      audi-
     
     
      ence
      questioned
      the
      legality
      of
      graffiti
     
     
      art
      after
      the
      talk,
      Gomez
      explained
      that
     
     
      many
      Guatemalans
      remain
      illiterate
     
     
      and
      that
      pictures
      are
      a
      way
      to
      reach
      out
     
     
      to
      more
      people.
     
    

    
     
      "It
      is
      not
      about
      having
      the
     
     
      space,
      but
      taking
      the
      space,"
      Fortin
     
     
      added.
     
    

    
     
      In
      addition,
      the
      group
      volun-
     
     
      teers
      support
      to
      other
      autonomous
     
     
      youth
      movements
      throughout
      the
     
     
      nation.
     
    

    
     
      The
      group
      is
      also
      working
      on
      a
     
     
      project
      called
      "Search
      for
      Identity".
     
     
      Photographs
      of
      the
      disappeared
      are
     
     
      being
      mounted
      on
      white
      banners,
      the
     
     
      goal
      being
      that
      the
      banner
      will
      become
     
     
      ong
      enough
      to
      wrap
      around
      the
      nation-
     
     
      al
      palace.
     
    

    
     
      Original
      songs
      are
      included
      in
     
     
      both
      their
      Saturday
      meetings
      and
      dur-
     
     
      ing
      protests,
      since
      many
      of
      the
      mem-
     
     
      bers
      sing
      or
      play
      instruments.
      Peaceful
     
     
      marches
      are
      conducted
      throughout
      dif-
     
     
      ferent
      parts
      of
      the
      country,
      although
     
     
      their
      path
      has
      often
      been
      blocked
      or
     
     
      intimidated
      by
      police
      presence.
     
     
      Popular
      theatre
      and
      art
      therapy
      has
     
     
      been
      used
      and
      well-received,
      according
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      Gomez.
     
    

    
     
      Since
      the
      spring
      of
      2000,
      the
     
     
      level
      of
      threats,
      raids,
      and
      violence
     
     
      directed
      against
      human
      rights
      groups
     
     
      in
      Guatemala
      has
      escalated.
      The
      UN
     
     
      Human
      Rights
      Commissioner,
      for
     
     
      example,
      visited
      in
      May
      of
      this
      year
     
     
      and
      released
      a
      report
      confirming
      and
     
     
      addressing
      this
      alarming
      trend.
     
    

    
     
      After
      her
      departure,
      an
      anonymous
      let-
     
     
      ter
      containing
      offensive
      words,
      death
     
     
      threats,
      and
      a
      list
      of
      names
      was
      sent
     
     
      out
      to
      the
      organizations.
     
    

    
     
      The
      HIJOS
      office
      itself,
      said
     
     
      Gomez,
      has
      been
      raided
      six
      times
      this
     
     
      past
      year.
      Also,
      a
      17
      year
      old
      founding
     
     
      member
      was
      gunned
      down
      in
      March
     
     
      when
      she
      answered
      her
      door
      to
     
     
      unknown
      persons.
      Also,
      the
      very
     
     
      morning
      of
      the
      presentation,
      they
      had
     
     
      just
      learned
      of
      a
      young
      colleague
      who
     
     
      had
      been
      found
      tortured
      and
      murdered.
     
     
      The
      young
      man
      had
      been
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      few
      translators
      working
      with
      Mayan
     
     
      witnesses.
     
    

    
     
      In
      spite
      of
      this
      climate
      of
      ter-
     
     
      ror,
      Gomez
      said
      that
      members
      focus
     
     
      upon
      "what
      they
      can
      do,
      and
      on
      not
     
     
      being
      too
      concerned
      about
      what
      could
     
     
      happen
      to
      them."
     
    

    
     
      Fortin
      also
      explained
      that,
      "If
     
     
      we
      don't
      do
      this
      work,
      who
      is
      going
      to
     
     
      do
      it?"
     
    

    
     
      "For
      that
      reason,
      we
      won't
      stop
     
     
      struggling
      until
      the
      peace
      accords
      are
     
     
      implemented
      and
      we
      can
      find
      justice,
     
     
      which
      doesn't
      appear
      anywhere
      around
     
     
      us
      right
      now."
     
    

    
     
      Throughout
      their
      Maritime
     
     
      tour,
      Fortin
      and
      Gomez
      have
      found
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      acceptance
      among
      the
      young
     
     
      people
      of
      this
      region
      and
      have
      found
     
     
      the
      area
      "very
      pretty."
      She
      added,
      how-
     
     
      ever,
      that
      they
      have
      found
      it
      "hard
      to
     
     
      adjust
      to
      the
      very
      peaceful
      and
      tran-
     
     
      quil"
      nature
      in
      this
      area.
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      has
      been
      the
      fourteenth
     
     
      stop
      on
      the
      Maritime
      tour,
      which
      .
     
     
      began
      earlier
      this
      month.
      Fortin
      and
     
     
      Gomez
      will
      continue
      with
      visits
      in
     
     
      Halifax
      and
      Wolfville
      throughout
      the
     
     
      next
      two
      weeks.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [17]