[NYTr] Guatemala: Latest Candidate Assassinated Was a Woman (MADRE)
 
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:35:50 -0500 (CDT)


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http://www.madre.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Aug 29, 2007

MADRE, An International Women's Human Rights Organization 

Contact: Diana Duarte, Media Coordinator
(212) 627-0444; email: media@madre.org

MADRE Condemns Assassination of Guatemalan Political Candidate

August 29, 2007-New York-MADRE, an international women's human rights
organization, today categorically condemned the recent assassination of
Clara Luz Lopez, a candidate for local council in the upcoming
September 9 Guatemalan elections.  Lopez was a member of Nobel Peace
Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum's political party, Encuentro por
Guatemala.  MADRE supports the work of the Rigoberta Menchu Tum
Organization, working for the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Lopez was shot while driving home from campaigning in the municipality
of Casillas, in the southeast of Guatemala.  Her murder tragically
demonstrates the continuing surge of political violence, sparked after
the start of campaigning in May.  Ms. Menchu has stated that this is "a
clear message for our candidates and for us." 

MADRE denounces the use of violence to terrorize human rights activists
and political advocates and to silence dissident voices.  MADRE further
demands that the government of Guatemala investigate this killing fully
and ensure accountability for such politically motivated violence.

MADRE is an international women's human rights organization that works
in partnership with community-based women's organizations worldwide to
address issues of health and reproductive rights, economic development,
education, and other human rights. MADRE provides resources, training,
and support to enable our sister organizations to meet concrete needs
in their communities while working to shift the balance of power to
promote long-term development and social justice. Since we began in
1983, MADRE has delivered over 22 million dollars worth of support to
community-based women's organizations in Latin America, the Caribbean,
the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Balkans, and the United States.
 
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