Wendy Mendez, plaintiff in the emblematic Military Diary case, will be joining the Maritimes-Breaking the Silence Network for a tour of the Maritimes provinces during the spring of 2022. This will be the first speaking tour BTS has held since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Who is Wendy Mendez?

Wendy is the daughter of Luz Haydee Mendez Calderon who was forcibly disappeared by the Guatemalan Army on March 8th, 1984. Wendy is a Human Rights activist, popular educator, co-founder of HIJOS Guatemala, petitioner before the Inter-American Human Rights Court in the Military Diary Case (Gudiel Alvarez vs. Guatemala), and plaintiff in the Military Diary case in the national courts of Guatemala.

The Military Diary is a document that was stored in the Guatemalan Military Archives which details the forced disappearance, torture, and murder including details such as the date and location of their kidnapping by state security forces, of 183 people. The diary contains photos and government intelligence on individuals, including children, who were considered ‘internal enemies’ of the state during the Guatemalan Internal Armed Conflict (IAC). Many of the 183 individuals in this document remain missing to this day.

This case is emblematic of the human rights abuses and mechanisms used by the state in Guatemala during the IAC against civilians. The families bringing the face forward are seeking justice from 13 high-level military and police figures.

For more information, read daily reports from the court room here, or an impactful article from Wendy and the CBC here.

May 27th, 7pm

Tatamagouche Centre: 259 Loop Route 6, RR#3, Tatamagouche, NS B0K 1V0

May 29th, 4pm

Mount Allison University- Sir James Dunn Room 106

May 30th, 7PM

PSAC Moncton Regional Office – 85 rue, Rufin St, Dieppe.

** Must RSVP (communications.bts@gmail.com)

**Vaccination & masks are mandatory

May 31st,

Atlantic Human Rights Centre, St. Thomas University

May 31st, 6 pm

Conserver House: 180 St. John Street, Fredericton

June 1st, 7pm
University of Prince Edward Island Faculty Lounge
**Masks Mandatory
No ticket necessary

 

June 2nd, 6pm to 7:30

Community Room, People’s Place Library

**masking requested

June 3rd, 4:30pm to 6pm

Glitter Bean Café

In association with the Halifax Workers’ Action Centre