Guatemala City, Dec 29 (Prensa Latina) The changing of the Peace Rose at the National Palace of Culture took on a different meaning today, commemorating the 26th anniversary of the end of the armed conflict in Guatemala.
The signing of the firm and lasting peace accords took place on a day like today, in the same setting this time attended by authorities from the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Presidential Commission for Peace and Human Rights (Copadeh).
Ernesto Flores, Director General for Development and Promotion of Culture, stressed that this Thursday saw the last act of the year of the Cambio de la Rosa, celebrated once a month at the historic site.
This time it was the President’s Envoy against Discrimination and Racism, Carlos Arana, who was appointed Messenger of Peace.
Like in 2019, President Alejandro Giammattei did not take part in the act, although he published on his Twitter account that his government is pushing ahead with “building a more prosperous country for all”.
“Reconciliation, respect and unity are cornerstones of development,” he wrote.
The pledge signed in 1996 between the government and the National Revolutionary Unity of Guatemala closed one of the most tragic chapters in the country’s history, as tens of thousands of civilians were lost over three generations, around 70,000 disappeared and more than a million were forcibly displaced or sought refuge.
To commemorate this historic event, the Peace Monument was created in 1997, a sculpture located in the courtyard of the same name on the west side of the palace.
The agenda outlined the path of reconstruction and comprehensive modernization of the state through the promotion of a culture of dialogue and respect for human rights, but none of the governments accepted them as a state obligation, for this reason the vast majority of the victims They did not become compensated,” analysts said today.
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