**PRESS ADVISORY**
WHAT: Alianza Americas, Casa Yurumein, and Hijos de Livingston (Children of Livingston) will hold a press conference in the Bronx, New York., with Jordán Rodas, former Human Rights Ombudsman in Guatemala, and Juan Francisco Sandoval, Former Special Prosecutor against Impunity in Guatemala (2015-2021), who will give a first-hand account of the deep-rooted democratic and human rights crisis in the Central American country, which continues to condemn its people to leave the country in search of protection. Also participating in the conference will be Assembly member, Karines Reyes; Bronx Borough President, Vanessa L. Gibson; Arnold Ciego, President of Children of Livingston; and Hazel Contreras, Regional Coordinator for Central America for Alianza Americas.
The press conference is part of the Dialogues on Human Rights in Guatemala tour, which Alianza Americas is organizing with several of its member organizations. The tour will take former Ombudsman Rodas to Washington D.C., New Jersey, New York and Chicago from July 24-31.
WHO:
Moderator: Arnold Ciego, President of Hijos de Livingston (Children of Livingston).
WHERE:
In-Person: Casa Yurumein’s office. 1300 Southern Boulevard Bronx NY 10459. Please confirm your attendance in person by emailing ciegoa@icloud.com.
Virtual: Live streaming via Hijos de Livingston’s Facebook page.
WHEN: Friday, July 28, 2023 at 11 a.m. EST.
Panelists will speak Spanish and English. The event will have interpretation in both languages.
CHICAGO — Alianza Americas — a multicultural and multiethnic network of 57 civil society organizations in the United States, led by migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean — will lead a tour called Dialogues on Human Rights in Guatemala, which will feature Jordán Rodas, former Human Rights Ombudsman in Guatemala (2017-2020). Also joining some of the events as part of the tour are Thelma Aldana, former Attorney General of Guatemala (2014-2018), and Juan Francisco Sandoval, former Special Prosecutor against Impunity in Guatemala (2015-2021). Rodas, Aldana, and Sandoval live in exile as a result of their work and they will provide first-hand testimony of the democratic and human rights crisis that the country has been experiencing for several years.
The tour will include press conferences and community events and legislative meetings in Washington D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Chicago, and is organized by Alianza’s member organizations Centro Romero, Chicago Religious Leadership Network (CRLN), Guatemalans Without Borders, Children of Livingston and Wind of the Spirit.
The tour seeks to highlight the urgent need to understand the conditions that force people to leave Guatemala and the reasons why people are unable to return to the country. It will also be an educational and informative tour, which in addition to highlighting the main challenges facing the country, will seek opportunities to encourage the Guatemalan diaspora to advocate for their rights. Participating organizations will also advocate for the urgent need for immigration relief, such as a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Guatemalans living in the U.S. in irregular immigration status.
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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.
