[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1186 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1186

    Recognizing the indispensable role of the Indigenous people of 
   Guatemala in ensuring a democratic transition following the 2023 
    general election in the face of judicial corruption, political 
 exclusion, and historic marginalization, and urging the Government of 
    Guatemala to follow through on its commitments to represent and 
                    equitably serve all Guatemalans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 30, 2024

Mrs. Ramirez (for herself, Mr. Casar, Mr. Castro of Texas, Ms. Norton, 
   Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Garcia of 
  Illinois, Ms. Schakowsky, and Ms. Escobar) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the indispensable role of the Indigenous people of 
   Guatemala in ensuring a democratic transition following the 2023 
    general election in the face of judicial corruption, political 
 exclusion, and historic marginalization, and urging the Government of 
    Guatemala to follow through on its commitments to represent and 
                    equitably serve all Guatemalans.

Whereas Indigenous people in Guatemala comprise nearly 44 percent of the 
        country's population, according to the United Nations Economic 
        Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and encompass 24 ethnic 
        groups, including the Maya, Garifuna, and Xinka peoples;
Whereas, during Guatemala's brutal 36-year civil war, the military dictatorships 
        intentionally targeted the Indigenous population, with Mayans accounting 
        for 83 percent of the approximately 200,000 citizens killed during the 
        war, according to the Commission for Historical Clarification, and stole 
        Indigenous communities' land and resources;
Whereas the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala recognizes the 
        rights of Indigenous peoples and defines Guatemala as a multicultural 
        society, and the Government has recognized Indigenous groups' rights in 
        the Peace Agreements that ended the civil war and ratified international 
        agreements on the rights of Indigenous peoples;
Whereas, despite these formal recognitions, a history of intentional 
        underinvestment, systemic discrimination, and exclusion has led to stark 
        social, health, educational, economic, and political disparities between 
        Indigenous and non-Indigenous Guatemalans, with inequities even worse 
        for Indigenous women;
Whereas large inequities continue to exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous 
        Guatemalans, including the Guatemalan Government investing 0.4 USD per 
        day in each Indigenous person compared to 0.9 USD per day in each non-
        Indigenous person, poverty affecting 75 percent of Indigenous people 
        compared to 36 percent of non-Indigenous people, chronic malnutrition 
        affecting 58 percent of Indigenous people compared to 38 percent of non-
        Indigenous people, and Indigenous people comprising less than 15 percent 
        of high-ranking political office positions, according to the 
        International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs;
Whereas the Guatemalan state is not in compliance with its own international and 
        domestic obligations for receiving ``prior, informed consent'' of 
        affected populations on matters involving projects and investments in 
        Indigenous territories;
Whereas the ongoing struggle to survive has led many Indigenous people to 
        consider irregular migration as an alternative, resulting in the high 
        percentage of unaccompanied Guatemalan children and migrants in the 
        United States who identify as Indigenous;
Whereas in the face of persistent inequity and mistreatment, Guatemala's 
        Indigenous communities have shown remarkable resilience, strength, and 
        resolve to create better conditions and a more promising future;
Whereas, despite the Government and private sector's neglect, underinvestment, 
        and discrimination against Guatemala's Indigenous peoples and their 
        organizations, Indigenous communities have a long history of advocating 
        for their rights and justice by mobilizing against government corruption 
        and the rollback of human rights, fighting to defend Indigenous lands, 
        resources, and territories at the risk of being arrested for doing so, 
        and lodging complaints about the exclusion of Indigenous people from 
        COVID-19 treatment;
Whereas this powerful legacy of activism was pivotal in defending democracy in 
        Guatemala during the 2023 Presidential elections and transfer of power;
Whereas general elections were held in Guatemala on June 25, 2023, resulting in 
        a runoff election between the two Presidential candidates receiving the 
        most votes, then-Congressman Bernardo Arevalo of the Movimiento Semilla 
        party (Semilla) and Sandra Torres, a former First Lady representing the 
        Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza Party;
Whereas the runoff election, held on August 20, 2023, resulted in the people of 
        Guatemala electing Arevalo as President with more than 60 percent of the 
        popular vote;
Whereas the election observation teams from the European Union and the 
        Organization of American States, which were present at the invitation of 
        the Government of Guatemala, reported that both rounds of the election 
        were run professionally and efficiently and concluded that there was no 
        basis for claims of fraud;
Whereas Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal certified that the Presidential 
        elections upheld national, regional, and international standards for a 
        democratic election;
Whereas, immediately following the election of Arevalo on August 20, 2023, 
        Guatemala's Public Ministry, led by Attorney General Maria Consuelo 
        Porras Argueta, who is backed by the Constitutional Court and sanctioned 
        by the United States Government for significant corrupt and undemocratic 
        activities in abuse of her powers, initiated a series of efforts to 
        overturn the electoral results and undermine President-elect Arevalo's 
        inauguration;
Whereas the Guatemalan judicial system, particularly under Attorney General 
        Porras, has engaged in the spurious and widespread prosecution of 
        Indigenous advocates and authorities, such as those fighting against 
        illegal and destructive resource extraction projects on Indigenous 
        lands, amongst others fighting for reform and human rights;
Whereas Indigenous leaders bravely stood up for their country by issuing legal 
        challenges against the Public Ministry's actions and contributing to 
        marches despite increasingly arbitrary attacks by prosecutors seeking to 
        derail the transition of power;
Whereas these attacks motivated Mayan, Xinka, and Garifuna organizations to 
        spearhead massive nationwide protests beginning in October 2023 that 
        also mobilized Ladino organizations;
Whereas these widespread demonstrations garnered global attention and pressure 
        to adhere to the election results and intensified domestic calls for 
        government reforms;
Whereas Indigenous leaders were committed to sustaining nationwide protests 
        until arbitrary attempts to delegitimize the transition of power were 
        halted;
Whereas following 106 days of protests, President-elect Arevalo was inaugurated 
        as the next President of Guatemala just after midnight on January 15, 
        2024, after nearly 10 hours of delays by some Members of Guatemala's 
        Congress;
Whereas President Arevalo has committed to upholding Indigenous rights and 
        respecting Indigenous cultures and communities and became the first 
        Guatemalan President to participate in a public Mayan ceremony following 
        his inauguration, and has recognized their leadership in defense of 
        Guatemala's democracy;
Whereas the Arevalo administration has made progress in advancing dialogue with 
        Indigenous authorities, including Mayan Ixil and Achi leaders, to take 
        joint measures to overcome the legacy of discrimination, 
        marginalization, and violence directed against Indigenous communities; 
        and
Whereas President Arevalo's cabinet includes only one Mayan woman, Minister of 
        Labor and Social Welfare Miriam Roquel Chavez, and he has promised to 
        appoint more Indigenous leaders to vice ministries and other positions 
        of authority in his administration to better reflect the diversity of 
        the Guatemalan people: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) stands with the people of Guatemala in their fight 
        against corruption and for democratic governance, justice, and 
        a better future;
            (2) commends the efforts of Guatemala's Indigenous people 
        to uphold democratic processes and attain equitable outcomes 
        for their communities;
            (3) underscores the need for the Arevalo administration and 
        future governments, including the Constitutional Court and 
        Public Prosecutor's Office, to protect, represent the will of, 
        and serve the interests of all Guatemalans; and
            (4) urges the President of the United States, the Secretary 
        of State, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development to--
                    (A) encourage the Guatemalan Government to meet its 
                commitments to be more transparent, accountable, and 
                responsive to the Guatemalan people, including to its 
                Indigenous communities;
                    (B) monitor the actions of private sector entities 
                in Guatemala that have had deep ties to corruption, 
                violence, and organized crime;
                    (C) support the Guatemalan Government's efforts to 
                build a more secure, democratic, and prosperous country 
                and to expand opportunities for all Guatemalans to live 
                safe, fulfilled lives;
                    (D) increase engagement with and support for 
                communities in Guatemala on the front lines of 
                defending human rights and democracy for all to ensure 
                their voices and recommendations steer and inform any 
                United States decision or action related to Guatemala; 
                and
                    (E) use the vote and voice of the United States 
                Government in multilateral institutions to which the 
                United States is a party and that operate in Guatemala 
                to comply with the rights of affected populations to 
                ``prior, informed consent'' for all lending operations, 
                and all Guatemalan laws by ensuring within their 
                operations the protection of the rights of Indigenous 
                people, rights that are reflected in Guatemala's 
                Political Constitution and international human rights 
                treaties.
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