Artistic call-and-response, Guatemala-Canada: BTS at Antigonight By: Janette Fecteau, BTS Antigonish Committee member; Romi Fischer-Schmidt, New Hope Foundation Cooperant; and Ally Lord, New Hope Foundation Intern Saturday, September 14: Antigonight Art After Dark Festival in Antigonish/Nalikitquniejk unfolds, starring a spectacular installation exhibiting a months-long call-and-response between local and Maya Achí [...]
BBC Witness History interview with Jeremias Tecu More than 200,000 people were killed during Guatemala's 36-year internal armed conflict and of these, an estimated 45,000 people were forcibly disappeared. BTS Network member, Jeremias Tecu's two brothers were among the disappeared. They went missing after a family party in 1981. Jeremias [...]
Contemplating crabs in Rabinal By: Ally Lord, BTS Intern There’s a phrase unique to Spanish which I’ve found myself reflecting on often lately. “Pensar en la inmortalidad del cangrejo” or, “thinking about the immortality of the crab”, which refers to the places your mind goes when you are free of [...]
Celebrating the contributions and insights of our volunteers (from left to right) BTS volunteers Kathryn Anderson, Yvette Michaud, and Lisa Roberts By: Maren Mealey and Rae Millis, BTS summer interns Like many solidarity organizations, Breaking the Silence (BTS) relies heavily on the dedication and commitment of volunteers to [...]
First summer trip to Meander River Market By: Maren Mealey and Rae Millis, BTS summer interns On July 21st, Breaking the Silence (BTS) had their first Meander River Market day of the year. Several BTS volunteers set-up a tent along with other vendors outside of the Meander River Farm and [...]
Summer interns visit Just Us! Café and Roastery Just Us! Café and Roastery in Grand Pré By: Maren Mealey and Rae Millis, BTS summer interns On June 28th, Breaking the Silence (BTS) summer interns, Maren and Rae, had the privilege of visiting the Just Us! Café and Roastery in [...]
The Xinka Parliament accepts the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation's Human Rights Award, photo credit: Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation On June 6, the Xinka Parliament was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation's annual Human Rights Award. The award honors human rights defenders who face oppression [...]
Guatemalan presidential elections took place on Sunday. Hopes were low in the lead-up given a slate of far-right candidates backed by the Pacto de Corruptos (Covenant of the Corrupt), high-level bribery accusations, months of rival presidential candidates’ exclusions from the race, and a context of ever-increasing repression and criminalization. But [...]
Guatemala will hold elections on June 25. With none of the presidential candidates likely to receive the necessary majority to win outright, runoffs for president will almost inevitably be held in August. Candidates Blocked Several significant presidential contenders have been excluded from the race. Popular presidential candidate, Thelma Cabrera, was [...]
The court buildings where hearings are taking place. Photo credit: Lenora June 15, 2023 Written by Lenora A Pattern of Genocidal Violence Four witnesses shared recorded testimonies today. While the sound was not very good and it is preferable to have the witness present, it was crucial to [...]
