In Guatemala, five years ago, on March 8, 2017, on International Women’s Day, 41 girls and adolescents died from burns in a fire in the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home, and another 15 survived this state femicide.
Five years have passed without the Guatemalan government responding to the cries for justice from the families of the 56 girls and adolescents, despite the efforts of family members and organizations adhering to the courts to expedite the trials being conducted against the officials who at various levels were responsible for this unfortunate event that took the innocent lives of 41 young women.
On the contrary, not only have they not received government support, but they have been subjected to various acts of repression to intimidate them, force them to remain silent, and cease their attempts to achieve justice.
On February 21, 2021, María Elizabeth Ramírez was murdered in the municipality of Esquipulas, department of Chiquimula. María Ramírez was the mother of Wendy Vividor Ramírez, one of the girls who died in the fire at the Hogar Virgen de la Asunción. On several occasions other mothers and relatives have been threatened and persecuted.
Faced with this situation, we demand that the Government of Guatemala not hinder this process, and we urge the Public Ministry and the Judicial Branch to accelerate the judicial processes, not to continue postponing the hearings, and to determine the responsibility of the different public authorities involved, with objectivity, independence, and impartiality, and not to allow this abominable event to go unpunished.
We demand that the Guatemalan government stop the threats and intimidation towards the families of the girls and adolescents who are victims of the tragedy in the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home; and that the physical and mental integrity of family members, complainants and companions be guaranteed and the right to effective justice in this process be respected.
We express our solidarity and support to the families of the girls; we tell them that they are not alone and that we will accompany them until justice is achieved.
In the same way, we express our support for the 8 Tijax Collective, human rights activists and organizations that everyday maintain the memory of the 56 girls and adolescents, by supporting families in their daily struggle to achieve justice.
The children and young people of Guatemala deserve something better, a secure future. That is why we call on all personalities, social and human rights organizations in Guatemala and internationally to strengthen their efforts of solidarity and support to the families of the victims of the fire of the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home, to Collective 8 Tijax, to the complainants, and to all those who accompany the relatives of the girls who were victims of the fire in the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home.
May the memory of Las Muñequitas motivate us to continue fighting for Justice and against impunity in Guatemala.
Canada, March 2022
Todos Por Guatemala – Canada, Tzijolaj, Plataforma Canada Guatemaltecxs Exiliadxs por Terrorismo de Estado, Latin America & Caribbean Solidarity Network-Toronto, Waterloo Region Mayan Project, Elders for Environmental Justice-Montreal, Older Women Live (OWL) Collective-Montreal, Amandla CKUT 90.3 FM-Montreal, Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala (PAQG), Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine (CDHAL), Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network, Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), KAIROS Canada, Organización Amancio Samuel Villatoro, Collectif Guatemala, Red Europea de apoyo Caso Diario Militar, Australian Solidarity with Latin America, La Liga Internacional de la Lucha de los Pueblos-Guatemala
Florecerás Guatemala!