The stepson of union leader Joviel Acevedo Ayala was murdered on October 16 at night in northern Guatemala, when an armed commando entered his home and attacked him with bullets, as confirmed this Thursday (10/17/2024) by various sources in the Central American country.
The authorities indicated that the victim is Gustavo de León Palma, stepson of Acevedo Ayala, who was not at his residence at the time of the attack. The Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office) reported, through its official channels, that it is investigating the crime, which occurred in the department (province) of Alta Verapaz, about 150 kilometers north of Guatemala City.
De León Palma was 26 years old and was at home, in the municipality of Panzós, when he was attacked. Acevedo Ayala explained to local media that his stepson was murdered while defending his mother, who was also in the house and whom the armed group was allegedly looking for. “Here inside the house they killed him, they wanted to kill my wife and he got in the middle,” the leader of the Guatemalan Education Workers Union (STEG), the largest in the country, with more than 50,000 unionized teachers.
Leader of the STEG for more than a decade, Acevedo Ayala is considered the most influential unionist in Guatemala. He is criticized for his contacts with the rulers of the day to agree on collective labor pacts and, thus, avoid protests or road blockades. In 2023, he was sanctioned by the United States with a ban on entering its territory, citing corruption due to bribery of public officials.
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