Interview Opportunities with Central American Attorneys General

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2010

Contact: Anne Catherine Bajard   
(604) 710-4955; AnneCatherine.Bajard(at)JusticeEducation.ca  

MEDIA ADVISORY

Interview Opportunities with Central American Attorneys General

Three attorneys general from Central America, as well as the commissioner of the Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), are coming to Ottawa to discuss how their countries are fighting back against levels of violence that are simply unfathomable in Canada.

The trip is organized by the Justice Education Society of BC, which is leading a project to train justice system professionals – from judges and prosecutors to crime scene investigators and police – in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. These countries’ murder rates can be up to 60 times higher than that of Canada, according to last month’s report by Statistics Canada and a recent article in The Economist that detailed Central America’s crime.

Interviews are available on Sunday, Aug. 7, and the evening of Monday, Aug. 8, with:

  • Claudia Paz y Paz, Attorney General of Guatemala
  • Luis Alberto Rubí, Attorney General of Honduras
  • Romeo Barahona, Attorney General of El Salvador
  • Francisco Dall’Anese, Commissioner of CICIG

Interpreters are available to assist with these interviews when needed.

Interviews can be scheduled through Anne Catherine Bajard, Latin American Project Coordinator for the Justice Education Society, at (604) 710-4955 or AnneCatherine.Bajard(at)JusticeEducation.ca.

Rick Craig, executive director of the Justice Education Society, is available for interviews from today through to the end of the conference. He can be contacted at Rick.Craig(at)JusticeEducation.ca or (604) 612-7585.

“The work of the attorneys general to address overwhelming violence in their countries is daunting and difficult, but not impossible” said Craig. “Canada is deeply involved and committed to working with them to achieve this.”

About the Justice Education Society’s work in Central America
The Building Effective Justice Systems program addresses the genuine need for justice systems to respond to serious violent crimes in the northern triangle of Central America, such as the approximately 20 homicides each day in Guatemala City. The program trains all justice system partners including police, prosecutors, judges, and other technical experts. Phases include crime scene investigation techniques, major case management and investigation, as well as oral trial techniques training.

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For more information please contact Anne Catherine Bajard at (604) 710-4955 or AnneCatherine.Bajard(at)JusticeEducation.ca