The CDH Vitoria will continue the legacy of Miguel Concha: Fray Gonzalo Ituarte

jessica xanthomila

Newspaper La Jornada
Saturday February 11, 2023, p. 8

Assuming the direction of the Fray Francisco de Vitoria Human Rights Center (CDH Vitoria) and succeeding Miguel Concha Malo, who co-founded this organization in 1984 and headed it with great capacity and lucidityIt is a great challenge to face, asserted Fray Gonzalo Ituarte Verduzco. In this new stage, he exposed himself, work will be done to give continuity to his legacy, but the look will also be refined to the most basic needs and, above all, where there are fewer defenders, such as care for migrant women victims of violence and human trafficking.

In interview with the daystressed that in the current context, marked by organized crime, and given the disqualification As regards the work of human rights defenders, the main actors in this work must be the victims and affected persons.

At the Cultural University Center, of which Ituarte Verduzco is also director and where the CDH Vitoria has its offices, he recalled that Fray Miguel Concha, whom he accompanied until his death on January 9, was “a faithful, consistent and good man.” He managed to focus the organization on local and national problems and he always maintained a presence at the fundamental juncture, with a very relevant capacity for dialogue, because he is recognized both in governmental sectors and in the social and popular sectors and ecclesiastical environments.

Besides, his serene reflection allowed him denounce firmly and clearly, without disqualifyinghighlighted the Dominican friar, who also presides over Serapaz.

Ituarte Verduzco admitted that It’s a huge challenge to succeed someone of the size by Miguel Concha; however, he stated that his relationship history with him, the CDH Vitoria and the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center, in Chiapas (of which he is the founder), made his appointment, on January 31, was a natural consequence.

Regarding his projects for the CDH Vitoria, he maintained that the fundamental fields of action will not be renounced, such as training work through the school for young people in defense of human rights and work in favor of the environment, land and territory , indigenous peoples and women victims of gender violence.

However, he specified There is no doubt that we live in a historical stage of profound transformations, of conflictive situations that have to make us sharpen our gaze to where the most fundamental needs are.. One of them, she asserted, are migrant women victims of violence and trafficking, a brutal business and inhuman.

Ituarte Verduzco (who worked closely with Bishop Samuel Ruiz and collaborated in 1994 in mediating the dialogue for peace between the EZLN and the government) warned that the effects of organized crime, the violation of the right to life and peace is brutal and of such magnitude that, even if all human rights centers dedicate ourselves to it, it will never be enough. Added to this, she added, are confrontation and national polarization. However, he also recognized that there are positive elements who are advancing the rights of the poor and indigenous peoples.

He regretted that the government has disqualification general towards the defenders. Is profoundly unfair and does not recognize that this fight is what has made the advancement of human rights possible.