GUATEMALA: Presentation in Madrid of the report Climate of Fear: The Legal Profession and Judicial Independence at Risk
On 2 June 2026, the International Mission of Jurists for Guatemala will present the report Climate of Fear: The Legal Profession and Judicial Independence at Risk in Madrid, based on the mission carried out in October 2025.
The event will be held in a hybrid format, with the option to attend in person or online, from 4.30 pm to 6.00 pm at the headquarters of the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (Paseo de Recoletos, 13, Madrid).
The event is open to the public, subject to mandatory registration via the following form: Registration form
The programme is available via the following link: https://protect-lawyers.org/wp-content/uploads/Programa_Presentacion-informe-Guate-Madrid-1.pdf
A report on the situation of the legal profession and judicial independence in Guatemala
The International Mission of Jurists for Guatemala is a joint initiative of the International Observatory for Lawyers at Risk (OIAD), Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L), the Association of Human Rights Lawyers, Judges and Prosecutors of Latin America and the Caribbean (AJUFIDH), Judges for Democracy (JJpD) and the Spanish Association for Human Rights (APDHE).
In October 2025, the mission carried out an independent, impartial and comprehensive verification exercise to observe, document and assess the situation of the justice system in Guatemala, with particular emphasis on the risks faced by the legal profession and judicial independence.
The report, available in Spanish and English, sets out the main findings and makes recommendations addressed to the Guatemalan authorities and the international community.
Against a backdrop marked by the recent appointment of Gabriel García Luna as Guatemala’s new Attorney General, the International Mission of Jurists for Guatemala has also published a statement in which it emphasises the need for the new authorities at the Public Prosecutor’s Office to promote concrete measures to restore its independence, objectivity and commitment to the rule of law.
Presentation of findings and testimonies
The report’s main findings will be presented by Begoña López, Gonzalo Sáenz and Águeda Teja, three members of the delegation who participated directly in the international mission carried out in Guatemala in October 2025.
The event will also feature contributions from Carmen Rosa, a Guatemalan sociologist, anthropologist and human rights defender living in exile in Spain, and Jordán Rodas, former Human Rights Ombudsman of Guatemala, also living in exile in Spain. Their testimonies will shed light on recent developments in the country and the main challenges currently facing judicial independence and the legal profession.
Screening of the documentary by the collective “Voces Guatemaltecas en el Exilio”
To conclude the event, from 17:30 to 18:00, there will be a screening of the documentary by the collective “Voces Guatemaltecas en el Exilio”, entitled “Between Nostalgia and Hope. A Look at Guatemalan Justice in Exile”, which brings together the experiences and reflections of Guatemalan legal practitioners who have been forced to leave their country.
