Guatemala sees landmark sentence

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

A Guatemalan court has sentenced an ex-paramilitary officer to 150 years in prison for the forced disappearance of civilians in the civil war.

Felipe Cusanero, found guilty over the disappearance in the 1980s of six indigenous Maya farmers, is the first person to be jailed for such crimes.

Human rights groups have hailed the verdict as a breakthrough in the fight against impunity in Guatemala.

Some 250,000 people were killed in the 36-year conflict, which ended in 1996.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8231142.stm

[Judi Lynn]

1. So late in coming, but finally justice has been partially served.

Hoping this step forward by Guatemala will light some fires in the countries whose oligarchs are still quashing investigations, and refusing acknowledgement of the savage atrocities they launched against the poor in order to terrify them into total submission.

[Soylent Brice]

2. that'll be us, if we're lucky. 30-40 yrs later they'll imprison bush and cheney's ashes.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Guatemala court convicts paramilitary in first enforced disappearance trial

Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Guatemala court convicts paramilitary in first enforced disappearance trial
Ximena Marinero at 8:33 AM ET

A Guatemalan paramilitary was convicted and sentenced to 150 years in prison for the enforced disappearance of six indigenous persons during the Guatemalan civil war . The trial of Felipe Cusanero, which began in 2008, was the first time a defendant was tried for enforced disappearance in Guatemala. The trial, conducted at the Criminal Court of First Instance in the city of Chimaltenango, was followed closely by families of the disappeared persons, the local community, and foreign diplomats. Although Cusanero is suspected of having forced the disappearances of more than six people, testimony in the trial came from six families who lost a member between the years of 1982 and 1984. At the time, Cusanero functioned as a military commissioner in the rural locality, in charge of reporting on potential leftist movements and recruiting for the military forces. Human rights activists and foreign diplomats have expressed hope that this case opens the possibility of prosecuting those responsible at higher levels for enforced disappearances and killings during the Guatemalan armed conflict.

Of an estimated 45,000 disappeared persons and 200,000 casualties during the 36-year civil war, 83 percent were indigenous Guatemalans, according to the findings of a UN-backed truth commission report . The Guatemalan armed conflict ended with peace accord negotiations in 1996 that included an amnesty law covering war crimes that was decried as conducive to impunity by human rights organizations. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights commemorated the International Day of the Disappeared Monday, calling on states to eliminate enforced disappearances and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance . The International Convention has been signed by at least 57 countries but has not been ratified by the required 20 to take effect. It has not been endorsed by several countries including the US, England, Spain, Germany, and Italy.

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/09/guatemala-court-convicts-paramilitary.php

[Vidar]

4. I like to think that Bolivar & San Martin are looking down approvingly.

[Bacchus39]

5. sounds like he was from the Civil Defense Patrols n/t

s

[burrowowl]

6. Too bad RAYGUN wasn't

included, Iran_Contra responsible for at least the death of 200,000 Guatemalan Native People!
I HATE RAYGUN AND PAPYPY AND NEGROPONTE AND ETC.