Genocide in Guatemala: Tragic History and Pursuit of Justice
The Guatemala genocide, perpetrated by military dictator Rios Montt, inflicted horrific atrocities on the indigenous Ixil Mayans from 1982 to 1983. Massacres, torture, and displacement marked this dark chapter. Despite international condemnation and legal actions, justice remains elusive.
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Perpetrators When: March 23, 1982 August 8, 1983 Who: Guatemalan dictator during civil war Luis Enrique Mendoza (Unknown Present) Military Head of Operations Efrain Rios Montt (1926 April 1, 2018) Dictator of Guatemala Jose Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez (1946 Present) Chief of Military Intelligence
Ixil Genocide Victims Dead: 1,771 Causes: Torture, mass executions Targets: Indigenous Ixil Mayans Refugees and IDPs: up to 200,000 Uncovering mass graves of the Ixil.
Refugees How many?: up to 200,000 between 1981 - 1984 Where did they go?: Mexico How were they treated?: Registered and allowed to stay in camps or local communities in Mexico Who supported them?: UNHCR, the Mexican government Did they go home?: 43,000 returned to Guatemala in 1999
Summary of Genocide - Timeline July 1982: Guatemalan Army descended on the Ixil region, burning houses, murdering men, women and children, destroying fields, and killing livestock. August 8, 1983: General Mejia Victores overthrew Rios Montt. March 23, 1982: Rios Montt seized power in a coup. August 1983 March 1982 April 1982: Rios Montt launched a scorched-earth campaign against the Ixil. December 1982: Massacre in the town of Dos Erres where soldiers killed more than 250 people.
Whats Happened Since? 1996: End of Guatemalan civil war. 1999: An UN-sponsored group found the Guatemalan government responsible for the 1982 genocide. July 2006: A Spanish court charged Rios Montt and 8 others with torture, genocide and state terrorism, but Guatemalan courts declared the arrest warrants invalid. March 19, 2013: Rios Montt s trial before Guatemala Supreme Court started. May 10, 2013: Guatemalan Supreme Court sentenced Rios Montt to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity. July 2015: Rios Montt was found mentally incapable of standing trial. April 1, 2018: Rios Montt died in Guatemala City. September 2018:Guatemalan judges unanimously ruled that the country s military carried out genocide and crimes against humanity. June 2019: Luis Enrique Mendoza is arrested while voting in general elections.
Resources Rios Montt Trial a Milestone for Justice : Human Rights Watch press release: https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/28/guatemala-rios-montt-trial-milestone- justice State of Violence in Guatemala, 1960-1996 : American Association for the Advancement of Science: http://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/migrate/uploads/Guatemala_en.pdf Frontline World Timeline: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/guatemala704/history/timeline.html# The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-maya- genocide-trial BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-43611867 New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/obituaries/efrain-rios- montt-Guatemala-dead.html NBC News: https://www.nbcnew.com/news/latino/former-Guatemalan-dictator- efrain-rios-montt-dies-leaving-bitter-legacy-n861976 Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/guatemala-military-carried- genocide-court-rules-180927145730845.html
