Rigoberta Menchu \u200b\u200band the rights of indigenous peoples
Rigoberta Menchu \u200b\u200bRigoberta Menchu \u200b\u200bis a woman who has known first hand the suffering and he has seen with his own eyes the brutality and abuse of power by the military. The socio-political situation in Guatemala, his country of origin has influenced his whole life. From 1954 until 1996, this nation of Central America has experienced a long and bloody civil war that caused thousands of deaths, mostly civilians. During the internal conflict, were not spared extrajudicial killings, torture, "disappearances" and mass deportations. We are also committed massacres of indigenous rural communities, so as to cause the genocide of Maya peoples. The ultimate goal was to eliminate every possible support to the radical Marxist guerrillas. In the late '70s, the murders have intensified, reaching in 1981 a bloody phase. That year, Rigoberta Menchu, belonging Quiche Mayan ethnic group, was forced to leave their country to escape the Holocaust and fled to Mexico. The flight was traumatic and painful: his parents and brothers after they were tortured, were brutally killed by paramilitary groups. This family tragedy led her to devote himself to the defense of human rights. Prior to his Mexican exile had joined the Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC), an organization of farmers that has set as its goal the recognition of indigenous identity in political and social, focusing on structural reforms and which still operates today. During the '80s, to promote the cause of his people, Rigoberta Menchu \u200b\u200bparticipated in a series of conferences in Europe and the United States. Beyond the borders of Guatemala, supported the struggle of the Mayan peasants, and in 1982, contributed to the foundation of training anti-government Unitarian Representación de la Oposición Guatemalan (RUOG). His dedication to the cause of indigenous peoples Guatemala has been the internationally recognized in 1992, when she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace with "involvement in social justice and ethno-cultural reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples." Thanks also to the commitment of Rigoberta Menchu, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 1993 the International Year of Indigenous Peoples of the world. "
The various press conferences, meetings, activities of UN Rigoberta Menchu \u200b\u200bhelped to pressure the government to put an end to the massacres. Finally, in 1995, an agreement was signed between the Guatemalan guerrillas dell'Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional (URNG) and government authorities, recognizing the identity and rights of indigenous peoples. The following year he was declared the ceasefire, putting an end to a bloody civil war that has killed about 200 000 people. The abuses committed over 36 years were disclosed during the investigations carried out by the Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico (Commission for Historical Truth), founded on the initiative of the UN. The final report has highlighted what has been officially denounced by Rigoberta Menchu: the statements of the Nobel Prize for Peace was only added numerical data that clearly showed the genocide committed by the Government with the support of foreign intelligence services, in particular the U.S.. They were literally destroyed 400 villages and 120 thousand people were forced to flee to Mexico to avoid being murdered. Most of the victims, before being killed, suffered excruciating torture, including children. The conflict has also caused 40 000 people disappeared. Although Guatemala has returned to the relatively stable socio-political, Rigoberta Menchu \u200b\u200bis continuing its efforts at international level so that human rights are respected. And, in particular, continues his efforts on behalf of the indigenous peoples, as highlighted by Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize "We are not myths of the past, no ruins in the jungle or zoo. We are people and we want to be respected and not be victims of intolerance and racism."
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