Guatemala: Former dictator Efrain Rios Montt with genocide questioned

Human rights activists feared that the presidential victory of former general Otto Perez Molina meant a setback for transitional justice in Guatemala. However, this week, two historical events gave a clear signal that the fragile democracy in Guatemala is maturing.

On January 26, the Guatemalan Congress ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court , which allows the International Court prosecute any violator of human rights if Guatemala does not; the same day, after years of being protected by parliamentary immunity, former President Efrain Rios Montt was questioned for his involvement in the genocide of 1,700 Mayan Indians in 1982-1983, during the civil war of 36 years in Guatemala (1960-1996).

A child standing in front of the names of the victims of genocide. Renata Avila photo under license Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Creative Commons.

In SALTLaw blog in an entry entitled "A good morning for justice in Guatemala" [in], Raquel Aldana writes about the meaning of the trial of Rios Montt for genocide and crimes against humanity:

Today was a historic day for Guatemala. A few hours ago, after a long day of intense hearings, a Guatemalan court opened a criminal case for genocide against retired General Efrain Rios Montt and ordered his detention under house arrest. Now with 85 years, retired General should stand trial where he is accused of being responsible for a hundred massacres which killed thousand seven hundred seventy-one victims. Rios Montt, who until recently enjoyed immunity after serving nearly two decades as congressman in Guatemala, was de facto president during the 17 months of brutal civil war of 36 years between 1982 and 1983.

Continues to report about the appearance of Rios Montt in court:

Today, when asked in court whether he understood the charges he was facing, Rios Montt said into the microphone: "I understand perfectly." Then, instead of presenting a formal declaration of guilt or innocence, chose to remain silent. Today out of court, indigenous Guatemalans left red rose petals as a sign of no more immunity. Meanwhile, the Guatemalan Congress ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

In the blog of Foreign Affairs Council, Natalie Kitroeff exposed [to] the defense of Rios Montt.

Rios Montt made his defense very clearly. During the last month, said repeatedly that he could not be prosecuted for any violation of human rights and that he was in charge of military operations by land, as a political leader of the country. His lawyer echoed his remarks, telling reporters recently: "We are confident that no liability, he was never on the battlefield."

Continues:

This strategy is a radical new approach in the context of Guatemala. So far, the military has consistently denied that genocide was part of the civil war. Even the current president, Otto Perez Molina said he did not believe in the conclusions of the commission of the UN-backed truth , and that he could "prove that genocide occurred" during the conflict. Now Rios Montt argues that atrocities did occur but that he is not guilty.

Although there has been no public recognition of the genocide, it seems that things will change (slightly) as the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) found the first charges against Rios Montt in 1999. The discovery of mass graves by the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) and the tireless work of victims' groups that press for trial - finally got the convictions of four former soldiers this year - have made it untenable for the deny the indisputable military genocide, at least in a court of law.

"Wanted to Mejia and Rios Mont Victores genocide." Graffiti in the city of Guatemala. Photo of The Advocacy Project under license Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) Creative Commons

In the blog Lawyers, Guns and Money [in], Erik Loomis see what today means to Guatemala Rios Montt's judgment:

Today, Guatemala is facing a new period of instability due to the expansion of drug traffickers in Mexico and El Salvador in their country and stop the unfortunate way that makes the United States. While thirty years ago, people wanted to dismantle the police because of their horrible repression, now people think the police are the only one who can stop the next generation of extreme violence. Forcing Rios Montt to stand trial for their crimes will not solve any of the major problems of Guatemala, but at least it will force advocates of violence in the nation to think twice before doing something.

Mike, in Central America policy [in], reports that he was granted bail and will remain Rios Montt under house arrest during the trial. Mike adds his opinion:

Huge victory for the people of Guatemala and a continuation of what I believe has been a year [in] quite extraordinary which has made ​​progress in human rights in the region.

These two events show that without ignoring the past and the terrible atrocities that were committed during the country's civil war, Guatemala is seeking to become a country where international human rights standards are respected and enforced. The fact that President Otto Perez Molina, a former general, has not interfered with the case and has supported the signing of the Rome Statute gives the Guatemalans hope that in the near future justice will sooner or later, before criminals die or are too old or sick to stand trial.

Written by Renata Avila · Translated by Karina Villegas · View original post [en] · Comments (0)
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