IACHR Welcomes Full Compliance with the Friendly Settlement Agreement in the Case of Roberto Molina, Zury Mayte Ríos, and M.W.R., With Regard to Guatemala

May 29, 2024

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has decided to declare full compliance with friendly settlement report 61/22, concerning Petition P-1287-19—Roberto Molina Barreto, Zury Mayte Ríos Sosa, and M.W.R., Guatemala—and will stop monitoring it.

The case concerns the international responsibility of the Guatemalan State for violations of the human rights of Roberto Molina Barreto, Zury Mayte Ríos Sosa, and their daughter M.W.R. The presidential candidacy of Zury Mayte Ríos and the vice presidential candidacy of Roberto Molina were rejected, which entailed a restriction of their political participation and their right to seek public office in Guatemala.

In December 2021, the parties signed a friendly settlement agreement that was approved by the IACHR in April 2022. During the process to verify the implementation of this friendly settlement agreement, the Commission assessed the measures taken by the Guatemalan State to ensure compliance with the commitments it had made in the agreement. The Commission found that the State had launched two awareness-raising campaigns over the period July 13–August 4, 2022, to promote equality in terms of the political participation of women in Guatemala, through the Strategic Communications Unit of the Presidential Committee for Peace and Human Rights (COPADEH).

The most significant outcomes of this agreement included two forums and two roundtable discussions involving educational institutions. Those events brought together a total of 919 participants and addressed various issues, including the importance of the political life of women and of citizens in general and women's representation in Guatemala and in the world at large.  

The Commission closely followed the implementation of this friendly settlement and commended both parties on their efforts in negotiations and during the monitoring stage of the agreement. Based on information provided by the parties, the IACHR declared that full compliance had been attained and ended its supervision of compliance with this friendly settlement agreement.

The Commission commends the Guatemalan State on its efforts to solve cases that are taken before the petition and case system through the friendly settlement mechanism and on its work to achieve full implementation of this agreement. The Commission further congratulates the petitioning party for all its efforts to take part in negotiations and to promote this friendly settlement.

Please click here to access the technical information sheet for this case.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 117/24

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