Guatemala: Activists Call for Investigation Into Social Leader Luis Marroquin's Murder

The Committee of Rural Development of Guatemala (Codeca) has denounced the murder of one of its leaders, Luis Arturo Marroquin, Wednesday and have accused the government of president Jimmy Morales of playing a role in his death.

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According to reports, a black vehicle followed Marroquin from Jalapa, where he boarded a public bus, to San Luis Jilotepeque. While walking through a park after deboarding the bus two masked men approached him and fired several shots at him.

In a public statement, Codeca noted that Marroquin was a human rights defender and member of the committee's leadership. They called his murder “cowardly,” as he was found “with several bullet wounds in the back."

Before his murder, Codeca accused Morales of "strengthening hatred and resentment" against the organization, instead of seeking the unity among the people. “Although these attacks against fellow defenders hurt, they don't intimidate us. We will fight harder to achieve our dreams and that of many murdered comrades," he said.

Various social organizations expressed solidarity with Codeca and denounced Marroquin's murder, including The Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Guatemala (Udefegua). They condemned the deadly attack, sent condolences to his family and demanded justice.

The Citizens Assembly Against Corruption and Impunity also expressed their “rejection and condemnation for the despicable murder.”

Marroquín was Codeca's organizational and political coordinator of the country's eastern region. His main focus was on the defense of human rights, access to land, labor rights, territory defense and the demand for the nationalization of privatized services and goods.