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**PRESS ADVISORY**
WHAT: Alianza Americas, Latin American Working Group Education Fund, and Asociación Guatemaltecos sin Fronteras (Association of Guatemalans Without Borders) will hold a press conference in Washington, D.C., with Jordán Rodas, former Human Rights Ombudsman in Guatemala, and Thelma Aldana, former Attorney General of Guatemala, who will give a first-hand account of the deep-rooted democratic and human rights crisis in the Central American country, which continues to condemn its people to leave the country in search of protection. This event comes days after the State Department condemned 10 public and private officials for intervening in the electoral process before the run-off on August 20th.
The press conference is part of the Dialogues on Human Rights in Guatemala tour, which Alianza Americas is organizing with several of its member organizations. In addition to Washington D.C., the tour will take former Attorney General Rodas to New Jersey, New York and Chicago from July 24-31.
WHO:
Moderator: Vicki Gass, Executive Director LAWG.
WHERE:
In-Person: Latin America Working Group’s office. 1301 Connecticut Ave NW #600, Washington, DC 20036. Please confirm your attendance in person or virtual via zoom.
WHEN: Monday, July 24, 2023 at 11 am EST.
CHICAGO — Alianza Americas — a multicultural and multiethnic network of 57 civil society organizations in the United States, led by migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean — will lead a tour called Dialogues on Human Rights in Guatemala, featuringJordán Rodas, former Human Rights Prosecutor in Guatemala (2017-2020). Also joining some of the events as part of the tour are Thelma Aldana, former Attorney General of Guatemala (2014-2018) and Juan Francisco Sandoval, former Special Prosecutor against Impunity in Guatemala (2015-2021). Rodas, Aldana and Sandoval, now living in exile as a result of their work, will provide first-hand testimony of the democratic and human rights crisis that the country has been experiencing for several years.
The tour will include press conferences and community events and legislative meetings in Washington D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Chicago, and is organized by Alianza’s member organizations Centro Romero, Chicago Religious Leadership Network, Guatemalans Without Borders, Children of Livingston and Wind of the Spirit.
The tour will highlight the urgent need to understand the conditions that force people to leave Guatemala and the reasons why people are unable to return to the country. It will also be an educational and informative tour, which in addition to highlighting the main challenges facing the country, will seek opportunities to encourage the Guatemalan diaspora to advocate for their rights. Participating organizations will also advocate for the urgent need for immigration relief, such as a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Guatemalans living in the U.S. in irregular immigration status.
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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.
