EXPRESSION OF SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY

We hereby convey our support and solidarity to our brother Arnulfo Gómez Oxláj, who for speaking out about his experience and denouncing the vile and cowardly act committed by the state of Guatemala during the time of the internal armed conflict against him and other Guatemalan brothers and sisters, has been persecuted, imprisoned, and threatened with death.  At this very moment he states THAT HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER, since he is currently in his native country, where he traveled at the beginning of May 2021 to demand justice regarding the events of the massacre that occurred on Saturday, May 21, 1988, in the Chiul village of the municipality of Cunén, department of Quiché - Guatemala. CA.  In this event the army kidnapped several boys and girls, women and ajqijab * (traditional day counters), who were then taken to the Cunén military base, to be tortured for several days and later killed at the hands of the army and the Christian Government of Guatemala.

Arnulfo Gómez Oxláj was the only surviving child among 116 minors who were tortured and later thrown into a well filled with water and soldiers' feces, in which they drowned and suffocated.

This year, 2021, marks 33 years since the massacre – which is not recognized by the state of Guatemala. Arnulfo traveled to honor those who died in this massacre and continue to demand justice. For this, he was unjustly imprisoned, and accused of a crime that he did not commit; circumstance which highlights the arrogance and lack of justice on the part of the Guatemalan state, an action that today puts his life at risk.

We ask the international Human Rights organizations (HR) to take action on the matter, in order to protect Arnulfo's life. Also, to demonstrate solidarity in the efforts to clarify said massacre and demand justice, recognition, reparation of damages and non-repetition of said acts.

We firmly believe that these events that occurred and that were perpetrated by the state of Guatemala should be disclosed and condemned so as not to repeat the same stories against other indigenous peoples of Abya Yala.

For this reason, we extend this open letter of Solidarity so that Arnulfo’s case is resolved fairly and that the corresponding authorities carry out their actions based on the investigation of the truth. We also demand that the perpetrators of this reprehensible act be punished.

Sincerely,

The Authorities of the Council of Indigenous Peoples in the Diaspora.

 CONPID