A Couple of Articles on Guatemala

Article: The Search for Guatemala's Dead
Posted: November 8, 2006

This article summarizes the efforts and impediments of indigenous people in Guatemala trying to recover the remains of loved ones who were victims of the civil war. It is a good summary of the projected figures of the victims of the war, along with numbers that have been recovered to date, as well as a general overview of the scope and nature of the violence. The article was written in Nebaj, which is a region that is discussed in the next class reading. What I’d like to briefly talk about is one paragraph. It points out how international help has helped the exhumation of victims:

“But thanks in part to an infusion of foreign funds, private forensic teams and grass-roots organizations dedicated to helping indigenous peoples have expanded their efforts to file claims with the state to authorize exhumations.”

We were talking in class how rights discourse can help people who were violated. This case shows that at least some impact can be made. International organizations have funded and promoted the rights of people to exhume their loved ones, a right that, as the article mentions, people have been killed trying to lobby for. Though it is not outright justice for those responsible, it can perhaps be the start of the process. The article mentions that so far only two Guatemalan officers have been convicted for crimes during the war. I think this might be the beginning of justice. The next article mentions some new cases against impunity.


Article: Guatemala: ordenan captura de militares
Published: November 7, 2006

I’m sorry that I could only find it the article in Spanish. Often BBC neglects putting some of the better Latin American articles on their English site. This article directly relates to what we were talking about in class - - how to administer justice for past crimes. Apparently Spain has asked for extradition of 4 retired military officers and 2 civilians who are accused of being involved with the Spanish embassy fire in Guatemala City in 1980. The Guatemalan justice department has complied. Rigoberta Menchú’s father was one of the victims in the blaze. Spain also asked for the extradition of ex-general Efraín Ríos Montt, but judges refused due to insufficient evidence. The article shows, again, that international influence does have an impact.



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