the 10th and the night of December 11 Central Park Guatemala City was the site of two violent evictions perpetrated by police National Civil Police (PNC). Workers at the distribution of Péten which is part of the company from the property Salvavida Castillo Brothers Corporation had set up camp in Central Park to protest against his dismissal in May 2008. This dismissal came after several attempts by a group of workers to form a union at the distribution of Peten, located in Zapote of the capital city. Trade unionists interpreted as the abuse eviction latest in a series of events that have marked the peaceful resistance led over the past 19 months. This is intended to denounce the arbitrary dismissal of trade unionists, note the dilatory attitude of the Ministry of Labour and the various courts handling the case.
In February 2007 a group of workers in the distribution of Péten was organized for the establishment of a union and processed the corresponding application in the Ministry of Labour. Originally, the goal of creating the union was to strengthen their position in the company and enforce employment rights as a union member said: "The need to organize arose due to ill-treatment they had here, that in addition to exaggerated assessments require us [...] we needed a little more than salary, because virtually We were working double or sometimes triple duty. [...] Also had no job stability because they always came to us saying that comply with the quotas because otherwise, however, we would be fired and had thousands of applications for university and we had no studio. " (1)
Until May 2008 the registration was achieved union after five attempts that were rejected by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. According to union members, this delay was due to strong pressure from the company. The distribution of this delay Petén used for settlement and filed for bankruptcy four days before the Ministry of Labor recognized the union's legal personality SITRAPETEN. In this, the dealership was closed and its workers forced to sign contracts of waiver. According to a representative of SITRAPETEN, while other workers were transferred to other distributors and were given new contracts, this was not the case with members of SITRAPETEN since all were dismissed. (2)
At the time, a group that was demonstrating against this move considering it as an unfair dismissal was the victim of a violent eviction in front of the company located in the capital city Zapote. Several union members were injured in these clashes and the respective complaints after the incident were no follow up. As a pressure
, SITRAPETEN members remained in a camp in front of the facility, after the lack of progress in resolving the labor dispute and investigation of complaints was moved to the Plaza de la Constitution. For 15 months the group remained to occupy a space in front of National Palace leading a peaceful protest and resistance. During this period, several members confirmed a number of threats and intimidation in addition to continuous offers of money to the union by company representatives to leave the union. (3)
December 9 at 11:30 pm, a municipal judge, accompanied by several elements of the National Civil Police (PNC), was presented at the square in place of the shacks of former -workers. The judge, who according to the Convergence of Human Rights had no jurisdiction in the matter, announced that it had issued an eviction order based on the law of public adornment. (4) Not at this time as well in subsequent exchanges was presented the eviction order but several representatives of SITRAPETEN cited the judge talking about "oral notification." At the time the union insisted on their constitutional rights to demonstrate and protest in addition to requiring a table of high-level dialogue to achieve a solution to the dispute. (5)
The judge and the police temporarily withdrew because in the morning of December 10, the judge and police representatives were presented again in the place indicating that it was the last warning and that would carry out the evacuation in the event that the union does not withdraw from the area. At 12:00 hours of this day, about 120 of the PNC forces heavily armed with accompanying Municipal Transit Police proceeded to the violent eviction was watched by international observers of ACOGUATE. The events were marked by excessive use of violence by the security forces and as a result of the huts were taken from the trade unionists, their personal belongings. Several members also SITRAPETEN journalists present were physically attacked by tear gas and pepper oil that was sprayed directly in the face of them. At one point, members of the PNC tried to stop illegally to the Secretary General of SITRAPETEN that shortly after could be released through the intervention of the Presidential Human Rights Commission (COPREDEH). In addition, we observed several members of the police with automatic weapons in the midst of struggle. (6)
After the first eviction SITRAPETEN members, together with other supporters, took up a space to continue their peaceful protest and resistance. But at 23:30 hours, the new anti-riot forces were present at the place and leave the group again, again attacking several members of the group with irritant gases. (7)
Several organizations and members of SITRAPETEN argued that the program "La Academia" chain Mexico's TV Azteca that would develop in the central park seems to have been used as a pretext for eviction. At the same time expressed concern about the excessive mobilization of the police force for the operation, while promoting and requiring union labor rights are still waiting after 19 months of final settlement of his case by the appropriate bodies. (8)
Throughout this time, members of SITRAPETEN have been without enough income to sustain themselves and their families. Importantly, the numerous violations suffered by labor and trade union affiliates SITRAPETEN, joins a series of civil rights violations and political. (9)
(1) Interview with representatives of SITRAPETEN Acoguate taken in July 2008.
(2) Ibid.
(3) interviews conducted by representatives of SITRAPETEN ACOGUATE over 2008/09.
(4) Press Convergence of Human Rights: Eviction violent international day of human rights. 11.10.2009.
(5) Interview conducted by representatives of SITRAPETEN ACOGUATE the 11.10.2009.
(6) Observation of the event ACOGUATE 10.11.2009.
(7) Interview conducted by representatives of SITRAPETEN ACOGUATE the 11.10.2009.
(8) See press release "urgent release in solidarity with SITRAPETEN" Trade Union Movement, Indigenous and Campesino Guatemalan 11.10.2009; Press Convergence of Human Rights: Eviction violent international day of human rights. 11.10.2009, along with interviews conducted by ACOGUATE the 11.10.2009.
(9) Ibid.
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