The Secretary of Communication of the Presidency, Santiago Palomo, at a press conference this Friday, July 4 at the National Palace indicated that Vice Minister Bertha Zapeta has the government’s support and that the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM (CODISRA) already activated its mechanisms after what happened in a citation attended by the official.
On June 25, a tense citation was registered in Congress among the members of the Social Development Commission and the Vice Minister of Social Protection, Bertha Zapeta, whom the legislators questioned for responding in K’iche ‘during the accusations for the Social Drafts’ program.
In that sense, on July 2, Codisra issued a statement in which he said “his concern about the repeated actions of discrimination and racism of officials to indigenous peoples.”
Although he did not refer to the specific case, he indicated that the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples in Guatemala implies that the State assumes the commitment to respect and promote the exercise of the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples that cohabit in the country.
“One of those rights is the self -determination to their own social, political, cultural and economic organization. So all public officials within the framework of their functions must comply with such mandatory provisions,” he said.
He recalled that the recognition of indigenous peoples is contained in the Political Constitution of the Republic that establishes: “The right of people and communities to their cultural identity is recognized according to their values, their language and their customs.”
“No position, no investiture and no immunity gives the right to exercise racism and discrimination against indigenous peoples in Guatemala. From Codisra, public officials are urged to refrain from violating the human rights of indigenous peoples through racism and discrimination,” he said.
He stressed that the National Language Law establishes that public services must occur in the language of each place.
Codisra added that in Guatemala discrimination is typified as a crime that will be sanctioned with imprisonment from one to three years and a fine of Q500 to Q3 thousand.
What happened in the citation
Through its social networks, the Ministry of Social Development shared a fragment of what happened in that citation.
The video shows the deputy of the National Unit of La Esperanza (UNE), Sergio Enriquez Garzáro, who presides over the Legislative Chamber, heading to Zapeta: “When our people in Sololá will have food?”
Given this, Zapeta replied that they are working in three municipalities of that department through the Social Household Registry, but that the Social Dining Program has not yet been implemented. At that time, the legislator questioned the official again, who began to answer, but did it in K’iche ‘.
“I glad I address the people of Sololá, who speaks the languages Kaqchikel, K’iche ‘and Tz’utujil. Coordinate with us to work, you can make your requests with the staff in Sololá, ”he said in K’iche ‘the official. This caused the anger of some legislators present in the citation.
Stay updated with the bulletin now. Key information at the time it happens. Subscribe here.