Frank La Rue nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

international | miscellaneous | press release

Thursday September 11, 2003 20:58

by Justin Morahan - Peace People

Mairead Corrigan Maguire nominated Frank La Rue, Guatemalan Huuman Rights lawyer for Nobel Peace Prize in Dublin on Wednesday

6th September, 2004.

Geir Lunderstad,
Secretary,
Nobel Committee,
Nobel Institute,
Oslo,
Norway.

Dear Geir,

Re: Nobel Nomination 2004 - Frank R. LaRue.

Please accept my nomination of Frank R. LaRue of CALDH, Guatemala, for the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. Born in l952, Frank R. LaRue was raised in Guatemala, studying law at the San Carlos University in Guatemala City. He served as a legal advisor to the Central National Workers Union in the late l970's and early l980's when he was forced into exile in the United States in l981.

In the United States, he worked as a political analyst on Latin American affairs and founded the Centre for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH) in l989 in Washington, DC. in order to denounce
and investigate human rights violations in Guatemala. He returned to Guatemala in l994 and opened CALDH's office where it continues to function. Presently he serves as the Executive Director CALDH, as well as being a much sought after speaker and analyst.

Wherever human rights are threatened on a grand scale or wherever genocide is perpetrated in a country, it takes a certain brand of courage and determination to be a witness to the dual acts of truth telling and concrete action. But when the human rights violations and genocide are sponsored and coordinated by a ruling military government as happened in Guatemala, and when all the power of that government is used to carry out the associated atrocities, to smash all opposition ruthlessly but secretly, all the while denying its involvement, and all the while too, silencing every single voice of protest, then fear becomes terror, and protest can be a death sentence. Frank La Rue has the courage to stand against such terror in Guatemala. While he believes in reconciliation, he believes too that genocidal crime should not be rewarded. Particularly it should not be rewarded when those who committed it have never relented or apologised or even admitted their atrocities. For his courage in using his immense talents to uphold truth, struggle relentlessly for human rights and dignity, oppose genocide and strive to prevent further murders, it is my great honour to propose Frank La Rue for the Nobel Peace Prize of 2004.

Frank LaRue may be contacted at CALDH's address - 9a Avenida2 2-59 Zone l, Guatemala.www.caldh.org or email: larue@caldh.org telephone: 503 221 1286

Yours sincerely,

Mairead Corrigan Maguire
Nobel Peace Laureate