NISGUA

TWO MEMBERS OF MILITARY ACCUSED OF GENOCIDE

FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE

On October 12, First Tribunal Judge Carol Patricia Flores gave the arrest orders for three members of the military responsible for the genocide in Guatemala.  One was captured, while the other two – Generals Oscar Humberto Mejía Víctores and Luis Enrique Mendoza Garcia - now find themselves fugitives from the law.

The members of the military with arrest warrants formed part of the Department of Defence in the de facto government of General Efraín Ríos Montt and actively participated in the intellectual planning of the genocide against the Maya Ixil people through Plan Victoria 82. Their roles were fundamental in the commission of crimes against humanity and genocide during this time.

General Luis Enrique Mendoza Garcia was Director of Operations (G3) in the Army General Staff between April 1982 and August 1983; this position involved the elaboration of orders to mount and execute the entire operation of Plan Victoria 82, with knowledge of each of the steps the troops undertook in real time.

General Oscar Humberto Mejía Víctores was Vice Minister of Defence, in charge of the office of the Ministry of National Defence and formed part of the military high command; his functions included supervising and coordinating military actions planned in Victoria 82 and other plans, which gave him the capacity to know what happened in the interior of the country in real time.

We express our concern that two members of the military have run from the law; we demand that the relevant authorities pursue these two fugitives; we hope that there are no officials that could be implicated in the flight of these members of the military. It is important to note that General Mejía Víctores has an international arrest warrant, and as a result, cannot leave the country. If the general public has information on the whereabouts of these members of the military, we call on you to report to the Public Ministry or the National Civil Police.

We consider that the arrest warrants represent an important step; however, it is essential that this process continues to bring to justice those responsible for serious crimes that attack the dignity of all humanity. We will continue with the struggle for justice, resisting impunity and the threat of another genocide.

Because genocide cannot go unpunished!

Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR)

Centre for Legal Action in Human Rights (CALDH)

Convergence for Human Rights

National Maya Coordination and Convergence Waqib Kej

Coordination of Genocide Never Again

Guatemala, October 18th, 2011