ACOGUATE
The International Accompaniment Project in Guatemala ACOGUATE began its work as an organization under the mandate of international accompaniment and observation in 2000. For more than twenty years the organization has operated in Guatemala based on requests from human rights defenders and social organizations. Currently, ACOGUATE observes and accompanies human rights defenders at risk in two areas of work: the struggle for access to justice and against impunity, and the defense of land and territory. The team is based in the capital and is composed of six committees from France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Canada that send volunteers from all over the world to carry out peaceful activities of international observation and accompaniment.
While general violence and insecurity are a serious concern, HRDs continue to experience targeted threats and attacks against their homes and offices, which are frequently subject to illegal raids and break-ins. A climate of impunity in regard to human rights violations still prevails in the country, few attacks against HRDs are investigated and even fewer result in convictions.
