Guatemala, August 13th, 1997
Update on violence against street children in Guatemala.....
Casa Alianza's Legal Aid Office has been approached by the Guatemalan
authorities to request information regarding the violent shooting of
street youth Engelber Armando Lopez Gonzalez (16) by a private
policeman on June 15th, 1997 and the shooting of Jose Reyes on August
11th, 1997. This is a result of "many e-mail messages that President
Arzu and the Minister of the Interior (Gobernacion) have been
receiving from all over the world".
Your pressure is working - PLEASE, if you have not yet responded, send
a short message asking for the government to fully investigate these
shootings of Guatemalan street children. The addresses are below.
As an update, Jose Reyes survived the operation to remove the bullet
from his abdomen and is currently in the Intensive Care ward of the
San Juan de Dios Hospital. Casa Alianza staff are continually checking
on him and will, if necessary, provide medicines and supplies that are
so often lacking in the public hospitals.
Thank you again for your support. Never think that you are unable to
make a difference....
ACTION REQUIRED:
PLEASE send a polite message (in Spanish if possible, if not English
is fine) to the addresses below, insisting that:
- the Guatemalan authorities fully investigate both shootings of the
street youth Engelber and Jose
- they formally accuse the perpetrators of grievous bodily harm and
bring them to justice
Please send your messages to:
The President of Guatemala , Alvaro Arzu
Guatemalan Embassies
Newspapers
And a copy to THANK YOU AS EVER FOR YOUR
HELP. PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF YOUR MESSAGES....
Bruce Harris
Executive Director
Latin American Programmes
