US embassy cable - 03GUATEMALA1320

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 001320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL/CRA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, GT 
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA: 2002 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT UPDATE 
 
1.  Post recommends the following updates to the 2002 country 
report on religious freedom for Guatemala: 
 
Section I. 
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No changes. 
 
Section II. 
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Legal/Policy Framework 
Paragraph 1: Please replace "In April 2002, on the seventh 
anniversary of the signing of the accord, the U.N. 
Verification Mission noted that there had been little 
progress in its implementation" with "In May 2003, the U.N. 
Verification Mission noted in its presentation to the 
international donor community at the Consultative Group that 
the accord continued to face serious barriers to its 
implementation." 
 
Restrictions on Religious Freedom 
Paragraph 1: Please add as last sentence: "The Commission has 
not taken action to protect any specific sacred sites since 
its inception." 
 
Abuses of Religious Freedom 
Paragraph 1 
Please replace entire paragraph with: 
An appeal remains pending in the Constitutional Court 
regarding the June 2001 conviction of three military officers 
and an assistant priest for the 1998 murder of Bishop Juan 
Gerardi, the Coordinator of the Archbishop's office on Human 
Rights (ODHA).  In October 2002, an appeals court annulled 
the 2001 conviction and ordered a retrial, which the ODHA 
immediately appealed to the Supreme Court.  In February 2003, 
the Supreme Court Appellate Chamber confirmed the June 2001 
trial, a decision which the defense then appealed to the 
Constitutional Court. 
 
Paragraph 2 
Please replace entire paragraph with the following three 
paragraphs: 
There were multiple reports of assassinations of religious 
leaders of various denominations over the last year, though 
evidence has not surfaced in any of the cases to suggest that 
the murders were related to the individuals' religious 
practices.  In October 2002, Mayan spiritual leader Antonio 
Pop Caal was kidnapped and murdered in Coban, Alta Verapaz 
province.  His alleged murderers are being held in custody 
and a trial is pending.  In December 2002, Mayan priest 
Marcos Sical Perez, was murdered by unknown assailants in 
Salama, Baja Verapaz province.  An investigation is pending. 
 In April 2003, human rights activist and Mayan priest Diego 
Xon Salazar was murdered in Chichicastenango, Quiche 
province.  Xon Salazar had reportedly received multiple death 
threats related to his work denouncing the resurgence of the 
civilian defense patrols (ex-PACs) in the Quiche.  The 
investigation of his murder is pending.  In May 2003, Mayan 
priest Gerardo Camo Manuel was murdered during a religious 
ceremony in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz province, after reportedly 
receiving death threats from one or more members of his 
community. 
 
Also in May 2003, evangelical pastor Oscar Armando Montiel 
Montalvan was murdered during an evening service in his 
parish in San Juan Sacatepequez, Sacatepequez province. 
While the police continue to investigate the crime, none of 
his congregation has testified to the identity of the 
assailants, leading the police to speculate that witnesses 
fear retribution.  Catholic priest Edgar Estuardo del Cid was 
kidnapped, detained, and threatened for several hours along 
with three parishioners in Guanagazapa, Escuintla province. 
In the report filed with the Public Ministry, the victims 
attributed the crime to del Cid's criticism of social 
injustice during his homilies. 
 
While these crimes have not been linked to religious 
persecution, they do represent a disturbing trend of 
targeting voices of dissent against the corruption and 
impunity that plague Guatemalan society. 
 
Section III. 
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Paragraph 1: Final sentence, delete "lynching," replace "such 
activities against" with "attacks on" 
 
Paragraph 3: Replace first sentence with, "Within the Jewish 
community, there were no reported incidents of Anti-Semitism." 
 
Paragraph 4: Delete first sentence. 
 
Paragraph 6 
Please insert, "The Ecumenical Forum's leadership council 
continues to meet on a monthly basis, maintaining dialogue 
between most religious groups operating in Guatemala." 
Section IV. 
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HAMILTON