Paramilitaries Sentenced to Thousands of Years for Plan de Sánchez Massacre

The information below was translated from a press statement by CALDH (in Spanish below) 
Read Amnesty International's statement

On March 20, the First Tribunal for High Risk Cases in Guatemala sentenced 5 members of the Guatemalan military to 7,710 years in prison for the massacre of 256 people in the Plan de Sánchez community in July of 1982.

The former military commissioner Lucas Tecú and former civil patrol members Santos Rosales García, Eusebio Grave Galeano and brothers Julián y Mario Acoj Morales were sentenced to 30 years in prison for each murder and an additional 30 years for crimes against humanity.

With this sentence, the Guatemalan justice system recognizes the gravity of the massacre and gives hope to thousands of victims' family members and survivors of the internal armed conflict that still await justice.  Bringing the crimes of the past to justice is fundamental in guaranteeing that these crimes that damage the dignity of humanity will NEVER AGAIN be repeated.

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El Tribunal Primero A de Mayor Riesgo condenó a 7 mil 710 años de cárcel a cinco miembros del ejército de Guatemala por la masacre cometida en la aldea Plan de Sánchez en donde fueron asesinadas 256 personas en julio de 1982.

El ex comisionado Lucas Tecú y los ex patrulleros de auto defensa civil: Santos Rosales García, Eusebio Grave Galeano y los hermanos Julián y Mario Acoj Morales, fueron sentenciados a 30 años de prisión por cada asesinato y 30 años por el delito de deberes contra la humanidad.

Mediante la sentencia dictada, el Sistema de Justicia guatemalteco reconoce la gravedad de la masacre y da una luz de esperanza a las miles de familiares de víctimas y sobrevivientes del conflicto armado interno que aún esperan justicia. Juzgar los hechos del pasado es fundamental para garantizar que NUNCA MÁS se vuelvan a repetir estos crímenes que lastiman la dignidad de la humanidad.

Historica condena por masacre de Plan de Sánchez

Comunicado de CALDH - www.caldh.org

El Centro para la Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos, CALDH, manifiesta su complacencia ante la reciente condena de un comisionado militar y cuatro ex patrulleros militares responsables de la masacre de la Aldea Plan de Sánchez, Rabinal, en julio de 1982 en donde fueron asesinadas más de doscientas cincuenta personas.

La sentencia condenatoria recoge elementos fundamentales para la historia del país, entre ellos: que la masacre fue planificada como parte de la política contrainsurgente que se implementaba en aquella época y representó un castigo y advertencia a los pobladores por la supuesta colaboración con la guerrilla quedando comprobado en el debate que la población de Plan de Sánchez era campesina, pacíficay no beligerante.  Asimismo, resaltaron la importancia del duelo vedado a las familias, ya que muchos cuerpos no fueron recuperados por haber sido quemados y por ende no tuvieron una sepultura adecuada a las creencias y cultura Achí.

El tribunal reconoció que las violaciones sexuales cometidas contra mujeres y niñas  de la comunidad dejaron en las sobrevivientes graves secuelas psicológicas que hasta la fecha padecen. Cabe resaltar que la condena impuesta fue por cada una de las personas masacradas en Plan de Sánchez con lo que el Tribunal valora la vida de cada una de las víctimas que perecieron en la barbarie. También ordenaron al Ministerio Público continuar con la investigación de los hechos para determinar quiénes son los autores intelectuales de dicha masacre.

Expresamos nuestro reconocimiento al Honorable Tribunal Primero de Sentencia Penal de Alto Impacto integrado por las abogadas Patricia Bustamante, Jasmín Barrios y el abogado Pablo Xitemul, quienes han actuado apegado a derecho y respetando la legislación nacional e internacional. Reconocemos también la labor realizada por los fiscales  del Ministerio Público que tuvieron a su cargo este caso.

Manifestamos nuestra admiración y reconocimiento a las mujeres y hombres familiares y sobrevivientes de la masacre de Plan de Sánchez, que han perseverado para alcanzar justicia, su ejemplo nos anima a continuar en la lucha. Asimismo, a la Asociaciónpara la Justicia y Reconciliación, AJR quienes han mantenido viva esta esperanza de justicia.

Mediante la sentencia dictada, el Sistema de Justicia guatemalteco reconoce la gravedad de la masacre y da una luz de esperanza a las miles de familiares de víctimas y sobrevivientes del conflicto armado interno que aún esperan justicia. Juzgar los hechos del pasado es fundamental para garantizar que NUNCA MÁS se vuelvan a repetir estos crímenes que lastiman la dignidad de la humanidad entera.

¡Por el derecho a un País Justo!
Guatemala, 20 de marzo 2012.

Alta Comisionada recibida por miles en Totonicapán

Alcaldes comunitarios alzan las varas que simbolizan su autoridad.
Graham Hunt

El 13 de marzo, 2012, reunidos en el estadio Atanasio Tzul, en la ciudad de Totonicapán, miles de representantes de pueblos indígenas de toda Guatemala dieron la bienvenida a la Alta Comisionada de Naciones Unidas de los Derechos Humanos (ACNUDH), Navi Pillay, de visita oficial al país.  En discursos pronunciados ante la multitud e informes entregados a la Alta Comisionada, lideresas y líderes comunitarios denunciarion el despojo de sus tierras a manos de intereses económicos transnacionales, la re-militarización de sus comunidades, la creciente criminalización de las reivindicaciones sociales y la exclusión y marginación a las cuales siguen sujeto, entre otros.

La presidenta del Consejo de Comunidades de Totonicapán dio la bienvenida.
Graham Hunt

Conjuntamente con la profusión de declaraciones particulares emitidas por cada colectividad representada, se hizo entrega del "Posicionamiento Político de Pueblos Originarios de Ixim Ulew ante la Visita de la Señora Navi Pillay, Alta Comisionada de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos", documento que recopila y articula las demandas y propuestas de distintos pueblos, comunidades, organizaciones y autoridades ancestrales de a lo largo y a lo ancho del país.  En su texto, el Posicionamiento sintetiza lo pronunciado por los pueblos sobre cuatro ejes fundamentales: 1. Autonomía y Libre Determinación; 2. Megaproyectos; 3. Criminalización, Remilitarización, Persecución Legal, Amenazas e Intimidaciones; y 4. Discriminación y Racismo.  Asimismo, como se reporta en el blog del Consejo de Pueblos de Occidente, se realizó entrega de la Acción de Inconsitucionalidad General Total contra la Ley de Minería, recurso interpuesto el 12 de marzo ante la Corte de Constitucionalidad con el cual se pretende derogar la actual legislación rectora de la extracción de minerales por violentar contra los derechos humanos fundamentales de los pueblos indígenas consagrados en la carta magna de la república.

Graham Hunt

Seguida la presentación de las declaraciones de los líderes y lideresas presentes, respondió Pillay confirmando su compromiso de monitorear la situación de los derechos humanos de los pueblos indígenas de Guatemala.  "Aprovecho esta oportunidad para asegurarles que la promoción y protección de los derechos humanos de los Pueblos Indígenas sigue siendo prioridad clave para mi oficina, la oficina de la Alta Comisionada de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos" anunció.  En su discurso, resaltó su preocupación por los abusos contra los derechos humanos denunciados por los representantes de los pueblos indígenas, así como sus inquietudes referentes a los efectos de ciertas iniciativas llamadas de desarrollo sobre los pueblos indígenas mundialmente.

Graham Hunt

"Lo que he escuchado hoy me recuerda de mi experiencia personal cuando crecí y viví en Sudáfrica" declaró la Alta Comisionada, señalando que "El racismo y la discriminación racial atacan las bases mismas de la dignidad de la persona". Denunció que "La historia ha demostrado una y otra vez que al permitir que se arraiguen la discriminación, el racismo y la intolerancia, destrozan los fundamentos mismos de las sociedades y las dañan por generaciones", y advirtió que "Llevadas al extremo, sin control o alimentadas intencionalmente, la discriminación social y la intolerancia pueden conducir a la limpieza social y al genocidio".

Graham Hunt

Recordando los derechos de los pueblos indígenas reconocidos en la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas, ratificada por el Estado de Guatemala en el año 2007, y haciendo particular énfasis sobre el reconocido derecho de los pueblos a la libre determinación y el derecho a sus territorios y recursos naturales, declaró que "Me preocupa fundamentalmente el impacto negativo sobre los derechos económicos, sociales y culturales de los pueblos indígenas causados por proyectos irresponsables o negligentes que han sido o están siendo planificados o ejecutados en los territorios indígenas sin las debidas garantías o la participación de los pueblos interesados".

Comunitarios del área afectada por la Mina Marlin, de la canadiense Goldcorp, Inc..
Graham Hunt

"Estos proyectos", observó, "han generado un ambiente muy inestable de conflicto social y han creado diferentes conflictos entre las empresas, los pueblos indígenas y el Estado".  Haciendo referencia a los derechos consagrados en el Convenio 169 de la OIT y la Declaración de Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas, afirmó que "La participación de los pueblos indígenas en los procesos de toma de decisiones que afectan a sus territorios y comunidades tal y como la planificación del desarrollo y las iniciativas es fundamental en el desarrollo de un país, pero no es lo que estamos viendo hoy".

Un grupo artístico oriundo de Totonicapán realizó  una presentación.
Graham Hunt

"Hoy quiero compartir con ustedes unas reflexiones sobre lo que entendemos por desarrollo", dijo.  "Millones de indígenas de todo el mundo han perdido o están en peligro inminente de perder sus tierras ancestrales, territorios y recursos naturales en aras del desarrollo.  Cuando las comunidades indígenas son despojadas de sus tierras por el desarrollo y los proyectos de extracción de los recursos naturales, suelen quedar al merced de ganar una existencia en los márgenes de la sociedad.  Esto ciertamente no es señal del desarrollo.  Muchos de estos proyectos dan como resultado la violación de los derechos humanos que implican desalojos forzosos, desplazamientos e incluso la pérdida de la vida cuando surgen disturbios sociales y conflictos por los recursos naturales.  Esto, ciertamente, no es lo que entendemos por desarrollo".

Un representante del Consejo Nacional del Autoridades Ancestrales da lectura al Posicionamiento Político de Pueblos Originarios de Ixim Ulew ante la Visita de la Señora Navi Pillay, Alta Comisionada de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos.
Graham Hunt

"Estoy conciente del alto precio que los pueblos indígenas han pagado y siguen pagando para adoptar una postura contra los proyectos extractivos y de desarrollo que amenazan su tierra y cultura" relató la Alta Comisionada, declarando así mismo que "Es inaceptable que los líderes de la comunidad sean objeto de hostigamiento, agresiones y violencia sexual, y que no se realice una investigación pronta y adecuada ni procesos judiciales".

Graham Hunt

Refiriéndose a la tendencia de militarización en las comunidades indígenas denunciada por representantes de las mismas, afirmó la Alta Comisionada que "También tomo nota de las serias preocupaciones expresadas por todos ustedes en relación con la creciente presencia de fuerzas militares en sus territorios.  Entiendo perfectamente que puede ser un recordatorio de la terrible situación que vivieron durante el conflicto armado.  La responsabilidad fundamental de luchar contra la delincuencia corresponde a las autoridades civiles, y es imperativo que cualquier participación de los militares se limite a circunstancias excepcionales de acuerdo con claros protocolos pre-establecidos y con sujeción a la dirección y control civil, con el fin de garantizar la rendición de cuentas".

La Alta Comisionada de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, Navi Pillay.
Graham Hunt

"Quiero asegurarles que mi oficina dará seguimiento a las situaciones que ponen en peligro los derechos humanos de todos los pueblos indígenas en este país" resaltó Pillay.  "También es urgente hacer frente a la inaceptable realidad de la violencia contra las mujeres indígenas y eliminar las actitudes de superioridad del hombre sobre la mujer.  Acojo con beneplácito el fuerte compromiso de los 48 cantones de Totonicapán contra la violencia contra las mujeres indígenas, y su decisión de elegir a una mujer como presidente del Concejo de las Comunidades de este departamento".

La Alta Comisionada se retira del evento, acompañada de la presidenta del Concejo de Comunidades de Totonicapán.
Graham Hunt

"Quisiera terminar expresando mi gratitud por esta oportunidad de reunirme con ustedes" concluyó la Alta Comisionada.  "Me siento alentada al ver que a pesar de las luchas en curso y las violaciones que siguen sufriendo lo pueblos indígenas en el país, la organización de las comunidades sigue siendo muy fuerte".

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Para más información, véase la transcripción oficial de la conferencia de prensa dada por la Alta Comisionada el 15 de marzo en la Ciudad de Guatemala, así como esta entrevista salida en El Periódico, y el siguiente fotoreportaje publicado en la revista en línea Plaza Pública.

High Commissioner received by thousands in Totonicapán

Community mayor raise their varas, staffs symbolic of their authority.
Graham Hunt

On March 13, 2012, gathered in the Atanasio Tzul stadium in the city of Totonicapán, thousands of representatives of Indigenous Peoples from across Guatemala welcomed the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on official visit to the country.  In discourses pronounced before the assembly and reports presented to the High Commissioner, community leaders denounced, along with other transgressions, the dispossession of their lands at the hands of transnational economic interests, the re-militarization of their communities, the growing criminalization of social struggles and the exclusion and marginalization to which they continue to be subjected.

The president of the Council of Communities of Totonicapán welcomed the High Commissioner.
Graham Hunt

Along with the profusion of declarations emitted by each group represented, submission was made of the "Political Position Statement of the Original Peoples of Ixim Ulew before the Visit of Madam Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights," a document which compiles and articulates the demands and proposals of different Peoples, communities, organizations and ancestral authorities from throughout the country.  In its text, the Position Statement synthesizes the expressions of the Peoples in four key areas: 1. Autonomy and Free Determination; 2. Megaprojects; 3. Criminalization, Remilitarization, Legal Persecution, Threats and Intimidation; and 4. Discrimination and Racism.  Likewise, as reported on the blog of the Western Peoples Council (CPO, in Spanish), representatives of the Council presented to the High Commissioner a copy of the Action of General and Total Inconsitutionality against the Mining Law, a formal injunction filed on March 12 before the Constitutional Court which demands the repeal of the current legislation regulating mineral extraction in Guatemala under the argument that it violates the fundamental human rights of Indigenous Peoples guaranteed in the Constitution.

Graham Hunt

Following the presentation of the declarations of the leaders convened, Pillay responded, confirming her commitment to monitor closely the situation of the human rights of the indigenous Peoples of Guatemala.  "I . . . take this opportunity to reassure you that the promotion and protection of the human rights of Indigenous Peoples remains a key priority for my office, the Office of the High Commission of the United Nations for Human Rights" she announced.  In her speech, she expressed her concern over the denunciations of human rights abuses presented by the representatives of Guatemala's Indigenous Peoples, as well as her apprehension regarding the effects of so-called development initiatives on original Peoples worldwide.

Graham Hunt

"What I have heard today reminds me of my personal experience growing up and living in South Africa" declared the High Commissioner, observing that "Racism and racial discrimination attack the very base of the dignity of the human person."  She denounced that "History has shown time and again that if discrimination, racism and intolerance are allowed to take root, they destroy the very foundations of societies and damage them for generations" and warned that "Taken to the extreme, uncontrolled or intentionally nurtured, social discrimination and intolerance can lead to social cleansing and genocide."

Graham Hunt

Referring to the rights of Indigenous Peoples recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ratified by the Guatemalan state in 2007, and placing particular emphasis on Peoples' right to free determination and their right to their territory and natural resources, she declared that "I am fundamentally concerned by the negative impact on the economic, social and cultural rights of the Indigenous Peoples caused by irresponsible or negligent projects that have been or are being planned or carried out in indigenous territories without the proper guarantees or the participation of the interested Peoples."

Community members from the area affeced by the Marlin mine, operated by the Canadian company Goldcorp, Inc..
Graham Hunt

"These projects," she observed, "have generated a very unstable climate of social conflict and have created different conflicts between companies, Indigenous Peoples, and the state."  Making reference to the rights established in ILO Convention 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, she affirmed that "The participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making processes that affect their territories and communities, such as the planning of development and initiatives, is fundamental in the development of a country, but it is not what we are seeing today."

A local artistic group from Totonicapán offered a performance.
Graham Hunt

"Today I would like to share with you some reflections regarding how we understand development," she said.  "Millions of indigenous people across the world have lost or are at the imminent risk of losing their ancestral lands, territories and natural resources in order to make way for development.  When Indigenous Peoples are dispossessed of their lands for development and projects of extraction of their natural resources, they tend to be left to the mercy of maintaining an existence in the margins of society.  This is certainly not a sign of development.  Many of these projects produce as a result the violation of human rights which implies forced evictions, displacements and even the loss of life when social disturbances and conflicts take place over natural resources.  This is certainly not what we understand to mean development."

A representative of the National Council of Ancestral Authorities reads the Position Paper of Original Peoples of Ixim Ulew before the Visit of Madam Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Graham Hunt

"I am aware of the high price Indigenous Peoples have paid and continue to pay in order to adopt a posture against extractive projects and development projects which threaten their land and their culture" related the High Commissioner, likewise declaring that "It is unacceptable that community leaders be the object of harassment, aggression and sexual violence, and that there fails to be a prompt and adequate investigation and judicial process thereof."

Graham Hunt

Referring to the tendency of militarization in indigenous territories denounced by representatives of the community leaders, the High Commissioner affirmed that "I also take note of the serious concerns you all have expressed in relation to the growing presence of military forces in your territories.  I understand perfectly that this can be a reminder of the terrible situation you lived during the armed conflict.  The fundamental responsibility to combat crime corresponds to the civil authorities, and it is imperative that any participation of the military limit itself to exceptional circumstances, in accordance with clear, pre-established protocols and subjected to civil direction and control, in order to guarantee accountability."

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
Graham Hunt

"I want to assure you that my office will follow closely the situations that place the human rights of all the Indigenous Peoples of this country at risk" Pillay stressed.  "It is also urgent to stand up to the unacceptable reality of violence against indigenous women and eliminate the attitudes of superiority of men over women.  I salute with approval the commitment of the 48 cantons of Totonicapán against violence against indigenous women, and your decision to elect a woman as president of the Council of Communities of this department."

The High Commissioner leaves the event, accompanied by the president of the Council of Communities of Totonicapán.
Graham Hunt

"I would like to conclude by expressing my gratitude for this opportunity to meet with you," finished the High Commissioner.  "I'm encouraged to see that, despite the ongoing struggles and violations that indigenous peoples are suffering in the country, the organization among all communities remains strong."

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For more information, see the official transcription of the press conference given by the High Commissioner on March 15 in Guatemala City, as well as this  interview published in El Periódico, and the following photo report published in the online newspaper Plaza Pública.

Preliminary Hearing in Case against José Efraín Ríos Montt

Versión en español

On Thursday, January 26, 2012, in a preliminary hearing, General José Efraín Ríos Montt was linked to the ongoing legal process for genocide and crimes against humanity by the first justice for high risk cases, Carol Patricia Flores. Ríos Montt refused to make a statement. Despite the gravity of the charges, the judge ordered house arrest with a bail of 500,000 quetzales, a decision that has been criticized by the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) and the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH)(1). The presentation of the indictment is scheduled for March 27th, and the hearing to decide whether the accused will face a public trial is planned for April 12.

This decision comes more than ten years after the first accusation for genocide in Guatemala was filed against the general and his high command, brought by the AJR in 2001. ACOGUATE has accompanied the AJR, plaintiffs in the case, since 2000, and observed the activities within and outside of the Tower of Tribunals on the day of Rios Montt’s preliminary hearing. The hearing took place within a tense atmosphere, as much for the people accompanied, as for human rights organizations.

Many representatives from communities, in large part from the Ixil region, including the municipalities of Santa María Nebaj, San Juan Cotzal, and San Gaspar Chajúl, in the department of Quiché, as well as family members and allies of the accused, human rights organizations, and national and international press, filled the chamber in the Tower of Tribunals. Outside in the Plaza of Human Rights, approximately 400 or 500 people, many who had traveled from their communities the day before, gathered to hear a live transmission of the preliminary hearing of the de facto ex-president and to carry out commemorative activities. Facing the steps of the Supreme Court of Justice, a carpet of flowers spelled out the words, “No more impunity, not yesterday, not today."

The Armed Conflict Under the De Facto Government of Ríos Montt

General José Efraín Ríos Montt became head of state after dissolving the military junta which had removed Romeo Lucas García through a coup in March 1982.(2) Ríos Montt was overthrown  in August 1983 by his Minister of Defense, Oscar Humberto Mejía Víctores. During the 17 months he was in power, Ríos Montt is accused of 11 massacres in the Ixil region, resulting in the deaths of 1,771 women, men, elderly, and children, of which 267 have been identified, and the displacement of more than 29,000 people.(3) According to the Commission for Historical Clarification (CEH), established by the Oslo Accord in 1994 and supported by the United Nations, nearly half of all human rights violations committed during the 36-year armed conflict (1960-1996) were committed in 1982.(4) For nine months of that year, Ríos Montt was the de facto authority.

Background: The National Court of Spain and the Four Military Plans

January 26, 2012 was the first time that Ríos Montt appeared in court to face the charge of genocide. For twelve years, until January 14, 2012, Ríos Montt had enjoyed immunity as a deputy of the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG) in the Congress of the Republic. The first attempt, in 2006, to take his statement failed: In 1999 Rigoberta Menchú presented an accusation to the National Court of Spain, which, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, began in 2006 to investigate the crimes of genocide, torture, illegal detention, and crimes against humanity committed in Guatemala between 1962 and 1996.(5)

When a Rogatory Commission arrived in Guatemala in June 2006 to take the testimony of the witnesses and defendants, more than a dozen injunctions from the defense prevented the collection of these statements within the country.  As a last resort, Judge Santiago Pedraz from the National Court issued international arrest warrants in July 2006 for the eight defendants, among them Ríos Montt. Nevertheless, in 2007, the Constitutional Court ruled that the arrest warrants and extradition requests were invalid, impeding Judge Santiago Pedraz from interviewing the witnesses in Guatemala. In response, Pedraz invited the witnesses to Spain, and in 2008 some 40 people went in order to give their testimonies. (6)

In order to demonstrate the intentionality that characterizes the crime of genocide (7), the four military plans were solicited that indicated the operational planning: Victoria 82, Firmeza 83, Operation Sofía, and Operation Ixil. In 2009, the Constitutional Court ordered the review of the documents, despite arguments from the defense that the contents were “state secrets,” and that their declassification could jeopardize “the sovereignty and integrity of the Nation”.(8) Nevertheless, the Ministry of Defense only turned over Plan Victoria 82 and part of Firmeza 83, arguing that the others had disappeared.(9)

Then, in December 2009, Kate Doyle, an analyst of the National Security Archive (NSA), verified to the National Court the authenticity of the 1982 Operation Sofía archive, obtained from military intelligence sources in Guatemala.(10)  According to the NSA, Operation Sofía was a “deliberate counterinsurgency campaign in the summer of 1982 aimed at massacring thousands of indigenous peasants.” Doyle testified that “we have determined that these records were created by military officials during the regime of Efraín Ríos Montt to plan and implement a ‘scorched earth’ policy on Mayan communities in El Quiché. The documents record the military’s genocidal assault against indigenous populations in Guatemala.” (11) The plan Operation Ixil, published in a military journal in 1982, was never officially handed over.

The National Genocide Case

In the national genocide case against General José Efraín Ríos Montt, de facto president from March 1982 through August 1983, and his high command, ten years have passed since the original presentation of the accusation in June 2001 by the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR), advised by the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH), before there was any progress.

On June 17, 2011, Héctor Mario López Fuentes, former Army Chief of Staff under the de facto government of Ríos Montt, was captured and linked to the process. The indictment was filed in September 2011. Because of a recusal filed by the defense against Judge Flores for suspicion of bias, the process is currently stalled. The recusal is being heard by the Supreme Court of Justice after CALDH filed a legal recourse contesting the decision issued by the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals.

Arrest warrants have also been issued against three other members of Ríos Montt’s high command.  On October 12, 2011, José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, former intelligence chief, was captured and linked to the process. At the same time, Oscar Humberto Mejía Víctores, former minister of defense and president from 1983 to 1986, and Luis Enrique Mendoza García, former director of operations, were declared fugitives from justice.(12) Mejía Víctores turned himself in on October 24.(13)  Nevertheless, after various medical examinations, on January 5, 2012, the judge provisionally suspended the legal process against him, given his state of health, and ordered periodic medical evaluations.(14)

In December 2011, given that he would lose his immunity as a deputy on January 14, 2012, Ríos Montt presented himself to the Office of the Prosecutor for Human Rights, in order “to solicit information about a possible criminal investigation against him”,(15)  and asked that, in place of a high-profile arrest, he would voluntarily present himself to the court for a preliminary hearing. On January 13, he confirmed the same agreement in front of the First Court for High-Risk Cases, and accordingly the preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 26.
_ _ _
1 AJR / CALDH Press Release, 26 January 2012, Ríos Montt ligado a proceso por genocidio
2 El País, 10 June 1982, El general Rios Montt disuelve la junta militar guatemalteca y se autoproclama presidente del país, http://elpais.com/diario/1982/06/10/internacional/392508025_850215.html
3 El Periódico, 27 January 2012. Ríos Montt, Su casa por prisión. www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20120127/pais/207096/
4 Commission for Historical Clarification (1999). Guatemala: Memory of Silence. Conclusions and Recommendations. p.24
5 Informe de Observación de la Coordinación del Acompañamiento Internacional (May 2006). Acompañamiento a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos que luchan contra la impunidad en Guatemala.
6 Center for Accountability and Justice. The Guatemala Genocide Case. http://www.cja.org/article.php?list=type&type=83
7 According to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to which Guatemala has been party since 1949: “[G]enocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.” Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article 2, 1948. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/genocide.htm. The Guatemalan penal code has contained a definition for genocide in Article 376 since 1973.
8 Prensa Libre, 20 July 2007. Desclasificarán planes militares: Sala rechaza amparo interpuesto por Ríos Montt. www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Desclasificaran-planes-militares_0_148787005.html
9 CALDH. Caso contra Alto Mando de Ríos Montt. www.caldh.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=76&lang=es
10 NSA, 2 December 2009, Operation Sofia: Documenting Genocide in Guatemala. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB297/index.htm
11 Ibid.
12 AJR / CALDH Press Release, 18 October 2011, Prófugos de la justicia, dos militares acusados de genocidio, http://nisgua.blogspot.com/2011/10/profugos-de-la-justicia-dos-militares.html
13 El Periódico, 24 October 2011.Ex-Jefe del Estado Mayor se entrega tras ser declarado en rebeldía. www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20111024/pais/202659/
14 Prensa Libre, 6 January 2012. Juzgado suspende proceso, http://prensalibre.com.gt/noticias/Juzgado-suspende-proceso_0_622737749.html
15 El Periódico, 16 December 2011. “Quiero saber si me van a acusar por muertes”. www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20111216/pais/205185/

"Eternal life to our loved ones" - Interviews with the AJR after Rios Montt Hearing

Versión en español

An initial court hearing for former General Efraín Ríos Montt, accused of genocide, took place after ten years of work by the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR). The day after the hearing, ACOGUATE interviewed members of the AJR, accompanied by ACOGUATE since 2001.

What do you all think about the court hearing yesterday and how do you all feel now?

It’s the first time that we will be able to put people on trial for genocide here in Guatemala - the people responsible for the massacres that were committed against the indigenous Maya people. And how do we feel? On the one hand, there is much sadness because our loved ones were massacred, but we are moving forward and receiving the justice for which we have waited so long. So, we are in this struggle so that this never happens again. What we are asking for is justice and that it never happens again because what happened left us with great sadness and pain.

That is what we were feeling yesterday, those of us who were in the courtroom. I, as plaintiff and as a survivor, felt great sadness for having lost my loved ones, felt that it is he who is responsible for the massacres and it is he who is responsible for the poverty we are living in now. It was he who took the lives of children, women and the elderly. I believe that we survivors feel happy and sad at the same time, because we are remembering the past. We are not seeking vengeance. What we are seeking is justice and recognition of the truth that yes, genocide occurred in Guatemala against the indigenous Maya people.

Finally the moment that we had all been waiting for arrived after years of struggle by the survivors. We got to this point because of the constant determination and hard work of the survivors. Also, thank you for the support you all have given us, as well as the support from organizations like CALDH, but above all it is the survivors who spoke up, who opened up their hearts and their feelings to tell the truth, who brought us to this point.

We feel as if we could give eternal life to our loved ones because finally they are putting the person who is responsible for the massacres of our loved ones on trial.

However we do not agree with the decision to place him on house arrest. There is a law that prohibits that. But when these massacres occurred, these atrocious killings, there weren’t even laws prohibiting the killing of those people. Therefore, unfortunately I am very sad… they didn’t respect the lives of our loved ones.

With yesterday’s court hearing, we are finally recognizing the true history which we the indigenous Maya people have lived. We are finally revealing the truth, the suffering and the pain of the survivors.

Why do you believe this case is relevant right now, thirty years after these acts were committed?

This issue can no longer be ignored or left unresolved. He wants to appear innocent and he wants to maintain impunity. But we are carrying this fight forward. We are doing this for three generations. First, we are doing it for our loved ones who passed. I believe they are content with us and they will be able to finally be at rest. Second, we are doing this for the survivors, so their souls can be healed.

The third generation is our children who are watching the path we are taking. They will learn from us and one day when we are gone, we will have left them with the path towards justice, with these ideals. Perhaps they will never suffer how we suffered, but we hope they will have social development and especially economic development for their subsistence.

And what does this mean for Guatemala?

For Guatemala, yesterday’s event was joyous because so many people suffered during that violent time. Their rights were violated; they were threatened, manipulated and cut off from social development. There are people who lost their family but never denounced those crimes because of fear of threats and backlash. These people carried their pain and suffering on the inside and they were blind because they had nobody to guide them, to accompany them, to support them. But yesterday they were watching and they were listening and they will begin to believe in our work. We invite all who have lost their relatives to denounce the crimes and demand justice. We ask that they be put on trial and investigated! Just like the president has said, the laws must be followed, and therefore justice must be served.

For me, this is a step forward not just for Guatemala, but also at the international level because there are countries where justice has not been served, where people are suffering right now. This will give people the notion of how crimes can be denounced and justice can be found. That is the benefit… That is what Guatemala needs; a breath of fresh air and a clear vision towards the future.