An Interview With Carlos Gomez

A Foundation For Human Rights in Guatemala Interview

It is hard to believe that the man before me, in the not too distant past, was hanging onto his life by a thread, his chest blown out by a shot gun at point blank range, aimed at the heart. Carlos Gomez is one of the mass of Guatemalan citizens who have been disappeared, tortured and killed at the hands of the Guatemalan military. But in Carlos’ case, he lived. And he is not about to let the guilty go free, as they continue to do in the vast majority of cases. He is not about to let the government off the hook on its commitment to abide by the precepts of the American Convention on Human Rights, guaranteeing provision of adequate and effective judicial protection of Guatemalan citizens. Carlos took his case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington, D.C., an organ of the Organization of American States.

They have ruled in his favor. The documents from the case fill a whole bookshelf. Now the task is to hold the Guatemalan government accountable to the Commission’s ruling.

In this interview, we look at the man behind the mission.

Carlos Gomez has been a union leader in Quetzaltenango, a director of the Workers Union of Quetzaltenango (UTQ) and Director General of the Workers Union of the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (STINCA). Carlos maintains that the Guatemalan government is still very far from implementing justice, and even farther from fulfilling the international treaties that it has signed or to which it has been a party, since it has demonstrated that it does not have the political will to comply with the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission of the Organization of American States.

Just who is Carlos Gomez?

I am a Guatemalan, born in the province in the East part of the country. I am 31 years old. I have worked fervently to improve life in the rural areas. I was able to study nights and eventually attended a university. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish my studies because of my obligation with the union movement. I consider myself a laborer.

How did you get involved with the unions in Guatemala? Who did you represent?

In July of 1987, the Workers Union of the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (INDECA) was formed, in which I worked for seven years. I started as a member of the union and later became part of the leadership. I should say that before that time, I had participated in student movements. In 1989, I was appointed to participate in the Workers Union of Quetzaltenango (UTQ), where I came to be the Adjunct Director General of the board.

You are obviously driven to work for human rights, using your own case as an example. What is your philosophy of life, your religion, your ideology?

I respect people who work and accomplish change, not only in material things but in more profound levels, in societal relationships. What is fundamental is dialogue. I am a Catholic, but I don’t practice religion. Basically, I have a mentality which is democratic and progressive. But I don’t really subscribe to categorizing people. My ideology lies with the poor who struggle and toil every day.

What are your thoughts concerning the system of justice in Guatemala?

I believe that, at this time, the system of justice continues to be virtually inoperant. In fact, it doesn’t exist. In the courts, the majority of the judges are corrupt. Those that are trying to administer justice are threatened with death. In some cases, they have been killed. Others have been forced to leave the bench. Real justice in Guatemala would mean putting in prison the majority of the dignitaries that have governed in years past and a huge number of military murderers. It would mean imprisoning corrupt officials and drug lords who continue to enjoy privileges in the current government of president Alvaro Arzu.

From your perspective, how do you see Guatemala currently, and where is it going?

Right now we are in a new time of great opportunities, due to the signing of the Peace Accords on December 29 of last year. We see that consensus to resolve the problems of the country is being sought. It is based on a mutual recognition, through unity and working together.

Civil society has learned to recognize its rights and potentials within the current political process, to the point where we work for the articulation of civil society and the construction of a new Guatemala. This is a truly revolutionary step.

How do you see your own future, in light of the fact that being a human rights activist implies risks to your life? In fact, you are "wanted" in Guatemala.

Being a human rights activist at this time, as well as before, implies profound risks. But we are a strong opposition to abuse and injustice. This is why I suffered the attempt on my life on February 23, 1993, when I was a union leader. Furthermore, these conditions have changed very little in Guatemala. At any moment, if I was to return, I would run the same risk. This is due not only to my actions in the past, but what I am currently doing here in exile. Those who want to kill me have not been successful. And I have become a pain in the neck, since I have exposed them before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States. The government and the military want to kill me. Nevertheless, I continue pubically denouncing these atrocities that they constantly commit in Guatemala.

In all of this, I can’t deny that I still have fear. I have not been able to forget the pain that the attempt on my life has caused me. But when I think about this, I become stronger.

In Guatemala, the problem is not being a leader, it is being a Guatemalan, living in an atmosphere of insecurity and political violence which hasn’t changed much.

In relation to my own prospects, I see myself more as a worker. My occupation is that of human rights activist. Like everybody, I have aspirations for personal gain. But my agenda is not personal; it is collective.

Speaking of the Commission resolution, what is your opinion?

I believe that it is a victory although, at this point, it is more moral than substantial. But I feel good. It demonstrates to the government of Guatemala that they are indeed responsible for the attempt on my life which, unfortunately for them, failed because I am alive. And I want to share this victory with the thousands and thousands of Guatemalans who have never had the opportunity to formally bring cases against the military and lay responsibility on the government for the deaths of their families and friends for fear of retaliation. I hope that my case serves as a vehicle to begin to break down the wall of impunity that has always existed in Guatemala.

Finally, I want to thank my lawyers for all their hard work: Douglas Cassell, Executive Director of the International Institute on Human Rights at the University of DePaul, John Graettinger and Jill Guzman. Many thanks in the name of the people of Guatemala.