Our first formal meeting is with Daniel Vogt and Frank LaRue of the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH is the Spanish acronym). Frank LaRue is quite well-known in Guatemala for his human rights work. We learn a lot about human rights issues in Guatemala, especially what has been going on since the signing of the Peace Accords in '96. The main ideas of this discussion dealt with the lack of understanding between those in rural Guatemala and those in Guatemala City, how to deal with issues of corruption, how to deal with Guatemala's past from a legal standpoint, and how to keep international attention focused on Guatemala so that progress can continue to be made. Also they discuss that even though human rights workers feel much safer today than they did ten years ago, staff members and those in indigenous communities are still sometimes targeted. Fear appears to be a strong force that helps to paralyze Guatemalan progress, both social and political.
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