The skeleton of a Triassic giant is restored in Poland

Rescue of historical memory

Guatemala faces a race against the clock to protect some 60,000 files of victims of the internal armed conflict (1960-1996). The documents, compiled over a decade by the National Reparations Program (PNR), seek to compensate those who suffered abuse. The government of President Bernardo Arévalo has until January 2028 to achieve this.

The PNR was born in 2003 after the 1996 Peace Accords, but during the governments of Jimmy Morales (2016-2020) and Alejandro Giammattei (2020-2024) the program became inactive and its liquidation was ordered. The testimonies were abandoned.

Workers from a UNESCO-funded project try to recover the archive. Erick Briones, archive assistant, described the conditions: “Damp boxes, piled up, incomplete, broken files.” The goal is for this collection to be declared the world’s documentary heritage.

Among the cases is that of Manuel Botom Uz, who at the age of 4 was disappeared in 1982. According to testimony, he and his four brothers were attacked in Quiché by members of the army and civil patrolmen. His brothers were handed over to relatives, but Manuel disappeared. Twenty years later, his body was located and identified in a clandestine grave.

Elvin Díaz, presidential commissioner of Human Rights, said: “There was an intention by the Morales and Giammattei governments to erase collective memory.” He also explained that the purpose of the PNR was humanitarian aid, but the files contain “relevant information for a criminal investigation.”

The files detail homicides, forced disappearances, sexual assaults and forced recruitment. According to reports, the conflict left some 200,000 dead and 45,000 missing.

Future project plans to digitize the archive for universal access. A UN report on forced disappearances, issued last month, indicated that during the Morales and Giammattei governments “a systematic policy of dismantling institutions for peace and justice” operated.

The files will go to the Reparation and Dignification Plan for victims announced by Arévalo. This seeks to centralize the dispersed information to continue compensation and include cases of disappearance in the Humanitarian Search Mechanism.

Foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila addresses security challenges

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began a three-day meeting in Manila on Tuesday. The agenda focuses on the main security challenges in the region, marked by the escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran and the growing differences in the South China Sea.

In a joint statement after their first session, the foreign ministers expressed their concern about the escalation in the Middle East. They called for an immediate halt to hostilities and the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global oil and gas trade. They also reiterated the commitment to resolve differences between States through dialogue and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The meeting in Manila becomes a key space for member countries to discuss strategies that promote regional stability. The ministers emphasized the importance of maintaining open communication channels to avoid misunderstandings and major conflicts.

ASEAN has historically been a forum for cooperation and dialogue in Southeast Asia. This meeting seeks not only to address current conflicts, but also to strengthen regional integration and collaboration on security and economic development issues.

Escalation in the Middle East

The conflict between Iran and the United States reached its tenth day this Tuesday with no signs of de-escalation. While clashes continue in Iranian territory and in the Persian Gulf, diplomats are intensifying efforts to save the provisional agreement that sought to reduce tensions.

The Iranian Minister of the Interior, Eskandar Momeni, began a visit to Pakistan, a country that acts as a mediator. In Islamabad he met with the head of the Pakistani Army, Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The latter expressed concern about the military escalation and urged all parties to act with restraint, seeking to resume negotiations.

The United States reported attacking command centers, air defense, and missile and drone launch sites in Iran. In response, Tehran intensified operations in the Strait of Hormuz, where a tanker was attacked and its crew had to evacuate the ship.

The tension spread to the Red Sea. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and warned shipping companies about transiting Bab el-Mandeb. The interruption of these routes raised international concern about oil supply, driving the price of crude oil above $90 per barrel.

Despite diplomatic efforts, a climate of mistrust persists. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that his government keeps the possibility of negotiating open, but warned that any agreement must offer real guarantees. The continuity of bombings and attacks on energy infrastructure keep the international community on alert regarding the risk of an expansion of the conflict in the Middle East.