Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 16 February 2017

Guatemala’s indigenous seek recognition for justice system

wider respect for the tra- Velazquez, who visited So-
ditional ways in which their lola to view the court pro-
cultures deal with their dif- cess.
ferences, though opposi- The formal legal system has
tion remains strong within often exploited or ignored
the country’s non-indige- indigenous Guatemalans,
nous communities. who were legally required
Guatemala’s Constitu- to perform forced labor
tional Court already has well into the 20th century
accepted some rulings and who generally found
by indigenous courts and it nearly impossible to pay
there’s a move to formally for lawyers. Even now, only
amend the country’s con- 10 percent of the country’s
stitution to recognize them. townships have prosecu-
An earlier measure to do tors’ offices.
that came two votes short In Solola, Mayor Tomas Sa-
in congress, with opposition loj presided over hearings
coming from conservatives in a town hall decorated
and from business interests with the 20 figures repre-
that said they feared legal senting the Mayan calen-
confusion if different sys- dar — 20 days per month,
tems co-exist. 18 months per year. On
Members of congress on the table that served as
Residents listen to indigenous authorities acting as judges during a hearing related to a territorial Wednesday are scheduled the judge’s bench were
limit conflict in their community, at the Indigenous City Hall in the Indian town of Solola, Guate- to discuss the proposed a candle and a glass of
mala. Here justice works as it has for centuries: Townsfolk bring grievances and local authorities constitutional amendment water, an invitation for the
make rulings, usually with a speed unheard of in a country where justice is often delayed, if it to recognize indigenous wisdom of dead ancestors
comes at all.
(AP Photo/Moises Castillo) justice as part of the coun- to enter. Punishments can
try’s judicial system. At include restitution, com-
SONIA PEREZ D. joc, baby in arms, came the case of a young wom- least 105 of 158 legislators munity labor, banishment
Associated Press with a request for paternity an speaking the Kaqchikel must approve the proposal or whippings: Two braided
SOLOLA, Guatemala (AP) payments. Others sought language who said she’d for it to pass. leather whips hang in the
— The law works as it has for help with land disputes. An- been raped. The idea has gained sup- Solola town hall as a re-
centuries in the Guatema- dres Xelp wanted the judg- The Solola court alone han- port from national Attorney minder. Agustin Bocel, a
lan indigenous community es to force his son to move dled 3,000 cases last year. General Thelma Aldana, town spokesman, recalled
of Solola: Townsfolk bring back home. For generations, outsid- as well as Ivan Velaszuqez, a case of attempted rape
grievances and local au- The generally non-partisan ers have looked down on who heads the U.N. Com- in which the attacker was
thorities make rulings, usu- leaders of local Mayan indigenous law courts, as mission Against Impunity in sentenced to nine lashes of
ally with a speed unheard communities hear the cas- they have on the native Guatemala that has been a whip — at the insistence
of in a country where jus- es, trying to find quick reso- cultures themselves. Some assisting in corruption in- of his own mother, one for
tice is often delayed, if it lutions when they can and 40 percent of Guatemala’s vestigations in the country. each month she carried
comes at all. sometimes passing cases 17 million people identify “Guatemala has to be him, to remind him of the
At one recent weekly court over to formal prosecutors themselves as indigenous a place where all its in- shame he caused her. Bo-
session, Maria Micaela Pan- when they cannot — as in and they are pushing for habitants belong,” said cel said the man has never
caused problems again.
Tomas Guarcas, the mayor
Venezuela suspends CNN in Spanish after criticizing story of nearby Pixabaj, defend-

ed the practice.
“Whipping is a punishment
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) The country’s National Tele- It did not specifically men- blower’s allegations that that is like educating chil-
— Venezuela’s govern- communications Commis- tion the passport story, but Venezuelan officials had dren, without violating hu-
ment has suspended CNN sion announced Wednes- earlier in the day other been selling passports from man rights,” he said, add-
in Spanish, shutting off the day that it initiated the government officials held the country’s embassy in ing that the punishment is
news channel after a re- “administrative sanction” a news conference to dis- Iraq to people of Middle usually applied by “by one
port on fraudulent pass- because of news stories it pute the CNN story. Eastern origin, including a of the offender’s relatives,
ports that drew angry criti- considered “direct aggres- CNN aired a report on few members of terrorist the mother, father or in-
cism from officials. sions” against Venezuela. Feb. 6 based on a whistle- groups.q laws.”q