Cristosal

Migrants are skilful. Migrants are innovative. Migrants are agents of change. ??

It's another blazing hot day in Choloma, #Honduras, but Claudio Castillo is used to the heat. He leaves his new home and steps out into the bright morning, making the short journey to the municipal building. He climbs the stairs and takes his place in the circle of chairs assembled in the conference room. He grabs the microphone and begins to speak.?? “First, I want to start by saying that leaving [my home] was not my choice. If I had a choice, I would have stayed,” says Claudio Castillo. Claudio joined?Cristosal’s Global School in Honduras as one of the participants in our Roots of Migration seminar held in San Pedro Sula from June 8 - 13 where he shared his experience with forced displacement. Read full article here ? #Cristosal #HumanRights #CentralAmerica

We thank representatives from U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, USAID and the Office of the Vice President of United States for giving us the opportunity to present our report “Silence is Not an Option”. ??? ? https://lnkd.in/eejEzQaZ Summary "Silence Is Not an Option" available on cristosal.org #HumanRights #Cristosal #ElSalvador #SilenceIsNotAnOption

Detention centers are overflowing with individuals awaiting trial ??, and our investigation reveals no adults arrested under the state of exception have been convicted of any crime. ?? Read our Summary "Silence is Not an Option" on cristosal.org #HumanRights #ElSalvador #SilenceIsNotAnOption #CentralAmerica

After determining the cause of death of 265 individuals held in state custody under the state of exception, we have concluded that all of these deaths were preventable ??. ?? Read our investigation "Silence is Not an Option": https://lnkd.in/e975e7NR #HumanRights #ElSalvador #SilenceIsNotAnOption #CentralAmerica

Cristosal calls on the government of #ElSalvador to recognize its errors, investigate and work to guarantee justice for victims, and stop the attacks and defamations of human rights defenders. ??? We are not the enemy. ? Read our Summary Silence is Not an Option: https://lnkd.in/e975e7NR

The state of exception in #ElSalvador impacts the lives of not only those who have been detained, but also their families and the very fabric of Salvadoran society ??. ?? Read our Summary Silence is Not an Option: https://lnkd.in/e975e7NR #HumanRights #SilenceIsNotAnOption #ElSalvador #CentralAmerica

Women, in particular, bear the brunt of the burden, having to take on multiple roles to support their families. They must simultaneously serve as breadwinners, caregivers, and advocates for their detained loved ones ??. Read our Summary “Silence is Not an Option” ?? https://lnkd.in/e975e7NR #HumanRights #ElSalvador #Cristosal #SilenceIsNotAnOption #CentralAmerica

The Inter-American Dialogue and Cristosal published a report today asserting that President Bernardo Arévalo's government can demonstrate the feasibility of implementing effective and democratic measures to address insecurity in #Guatemala.? "Guatemala's new government has the opportunity to show that democracy can respond to people's needs, with security being a primary concern," said Tamara P Taraciuk Broner, director of the Rule of Law Program at the Inter-American Dialogue. "Although it will face significant challenges, such as widespread institutional corruption and a parliamentary minority, our analysis of past policies in Guatemala indicates that combining criminal prosecution with due process and implementing social measures to tackle the structural causes of violence, especially among young people, can offer a democratic and effective alternative to the hardline approach that currently dominates public discourse in the region," she explained. The report, based on comprehensive research, interviews and diverse stakeholder input gathered from private workshops, highlights successful past policies and proposes key elements for an effective and democratic security policy in Guatemala, including: ?? Resuming the Police Reform Initiative ?? Strengthening Intelligence and Analysis Capabilities ?? Local Security Strategies and Community Policing ?? Promoting Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women ?? Efforts to Prevent and Fight Corruption ?? Learning from Indigenous Justice Systems ?? Improving the Prison System ?? Renewing the Institutional Framework for Land Disputes ?? Gun Control ?? Regulation of Private Security Services ?? Continuity of Policies across Political Transitions Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal, emphasized that "we must not forget that the majority of Guatemalan society took a stand for democracy during the transition of power, and this opens the door for Arévalo to leverage his political capital to show them that they should continue to trust in democracy – now, because it can solve the security problem. If successful, this could impact not only Guatemala but the rest of Central America, where we see democratic decline and serious abuses committed under repressive security policies," he added.? https://lnkd.in/ek-Gxska

Human rights defenders in #ElSalvador are being targeted, accused of crimes that they did not commit without sufficient evidence. ?? ?? Cristosal confirmed the arrests of 21 defenders. In the face of these attacks, we continue to support these defenders and their movements. ?? Read our Summary Silence is Not an Option: https://lnkd.in/e975e7NR