Reply #33: Guatemala trained organized community auto defense forces [View All]

[Bacchus39]

Before I start though, its worth mentioning that the Colombian paramilitaries are disbanding. The rebels, however, are not looking to make peace.


the URNG (Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca) was the biggest rebel group I believe. never all that big but mostly made up of indigenous peasants. the military dictatorships of the 70s and 80s created autodefense forces in these smaller communities to "protect" the population against the rebels. the most infamous leader of Guatemala at least in modern times is General Efrain Rios Montt. He is still alive and actually ran for president last go around.

the Defense forces including the "auto-defense" forces were responsible for tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of deaths. Mostly Mayan indians.

I believe the low level civil war was ended in 1996.