Guatemala: UPDATE - Human rights defender Octavio Roblero shot dead by unidentified individual

Further to the Urgent Appeal issued in relation to death threats against human rights defender Leocadio Juracán and the intimidation of other members of Comité Campesino del Altiplano - CCDA, which is part of the Labour, Indigenous, and Peasant Movement of Guatemala (MSICG), Front Line regrets to announce that, on 17 February 2010, at aproximately 5:30p.m. Mr Octavio Roblero, leader of of the natural resources protection and resistance front (FRENA) affiliated to the national front for the defence of public services and natural resources (FNL) which is part of MSICG, was assassinated.

Further Information

Octavio Roblero was shot dead by an unidentified individual at his work place in the bus station in Malacatán in San Marcos. Octavio Robelero had received several threats prior to his assasination.

Octavio Roblero was the brother-in-law of Mr Víctor Gálvez who was assasinated on 24 October 2009. Víctor Gálvez was also a member of FRENA and was actively involved in the struggle against continued consumer abuse by the Distribuidora de Electricidad de Occidente, Sociedad Anónima - DEOCSA (Western Electricity Distributor).