Queqchí people carrying their loved one's remains after an exhumation in Cambayal in Alta Verapaz department, Guatemala. Since 1997, the Centre of Forensic Anthropology and Applied Sciences (CAFCA) has been helping to heal the deep wounds caused by Guatemala’s internal conflict. The impact of CAFCA’s forensic work is twofold: It helps families to find their loved ones and come to terms with their loss and it gathers the evidence needed to bring their murderers to justice. Photo: CAFCA archive.
The Historical Archive of the National Police in Guatemala (AHPN in Spanish), discovered in 2005, is a repository of up to 80 million police records dating as far back as the late 1800's. Many of these documents have served as vital evidence in cases relating to crimes committed during Guatemala's 36 year internal armed conflict.
The future of the archive, however, could be in jeopardy. In a press release dated the 5th of August the UNDP office in Guatemala announced the finalization of the AHPN's director's contract. Gustavo’s Meoño has been director of the institution for 13 years.
