The ABA’s Human Rights for All Project meets with Guatemala’s First Lady

On Monday, June 10, 2024, representatives from USAID Guatemala and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative’s (ABA ROLI) Human Rights for All (HRA) project met with Guatemala’s First Lady, Dr. Lucrecia Peinado, to foster inter-institutional dialogue and collaboration. Leveraging her political influence, she has brought attention to social issues from a human rights perspective.

By supporting Guatemalan human rights organizations, including Indigenous groups, as well as private sector groups and civil society advocates, the HRA project aims to promote collaboration among these entities while strengthening their resilience against human rights violations. Through advocacy, the project seeks to stop or reduce the exodus of justice sector actors and HRDs. By promoting the maximization of legal mechanisms, it will also aim to combat impunity for human rights violations. Finally, by collaborating with government entities, the project will strive to foster inclusivity and responsiveness to the needs of their community and citizens. Through these efforts, the project endeavors to achieve its goal of improving Guatemala’s protection of human rights and the rule of law.

Dr. Peinado is leading an institutional renovation of two key Secretariats, the Secretariat of Social Work for the President’s Wife (SOSEP) and the Secretariat of Social Welfare (SBS), shifting their focus from charity to human rights and institutional responsibility at community levels, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

Dr. Peinado’s leadership aligns with presidential directives and focuses on two major national causes: mental health and disability rights. By coordinating and highlighting these issues, the First Lady has established working groups, advisory councils, and decision-making spaces involving government delegates, municipalities, congressional commissions, and local community groups. Taking advantage of this institutional openness and space, USAID and the Human Rights for All project aim to support her efforts to bolster the promotion and protection of human rights in Guatemala.