This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. |
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 001125 |
1. (U) Embassy Guatemala appreciates the opportunity to propose an HRDF grant to help implement our human rights strategy.(Ref A) We believe that the Human Rights Victims' Assistance Center project outlined below offers an excellent opportunity to increase the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office capacity to help human rights defenders and victims recover from threats and attacks they have suffered. End Summary. Background -------------------------- 2. (U) Guatemala is a fledgling democracy that emerged from a 36-year civil war in 1996, that left approximately 200,000 people dead or disappeared. The internal conflict left a legacy of disrespect for human rights and a lack of confidence in the state's capacity to promote and protect human rights. The 1985 Constitution established the Human Right's Ombudsman's office to operate as an independent entity responsible for verification and protection of human rights work. 3. (U) One of the USG's main objectives in Guatemala is supporting the work of human rights organizations and strengthening the domestic institutions that deal with the same issues. While some progress has been made during the post-war era, violence continues to threaten the lives of many Guatemalans, especially human rights workers. This project will help to better protect and counsel those who have been harassed, as well as develop a domestic capacity to respond to human rights emergencies. Objective -------------------------- 4. (U) The objective of the $50,000 HRDF grant would be to provide funding for a new Victim's Assistance Center established by the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office to provide counseling and refuge for victims of recent and past human rights abuses. USAID supports the work of the Human Rights Ombudsman's office and its links to civil society through their human rights programs, but does not fund this particular project. The project does not duplicate existing efforts; rather, it expands upon our current efforts to strengthen the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office and to support a more congenial environment for the defense of human rights. Method -------------------------- 5. (U) The Human Rights Ombudsman's Office has established a Victim's Center but lacks sufficient resources to carry out its work effectively. With our support, the Center (located in the war-torn department of Chimaltenango) would provide mental and physical health services, shelter, and legal counseling to victims of human rights crimes. Results -------------------------- 6. (U) The goal of the Victim's Center project would be to firmly establish the center, with operations support to be assumed by the Ombudsman's Office in the future. The Ombudsman's Office has already obtained the building and the basic infrastructure for the Center. Our financial support would allow the Ombudsman's Office to hire professionals, purchase administrative and medical supplies for the center, and begin assisting victims. Based on the 100-plus cases the Ombudsman's Office has addressed over the past year, they anticipate providing inpatient services to approximately ten people per month. Implementing Organization -------------------------- 7. (U) The Human Right's Ombudsman's Office will implement the project. The Ombudsman's Office is an independent, autonomous government entity charged with human rights verification and protection. It receives a limited budget annually from Congress. Budget -------------------------- 8. (U) We are asking for up to $50,000 for the project to be spent on the following items over an eight-month period: Staff Salaries: Paramedics (2) : $7,100 Center Coordinator (1) : $6,000 Psychologist (1) : $12,150 Psychologist's Assistant (1) : $6,075 Security (2) : $5,060 Cook (1) : $1,520 Maintenance (2) : $2,530 Administrative Supplies: $5,060 Medicine : $4,505 HAMILTON |