Other War Crimes Trials / Work to End Corruption and Impunity

Similar to the genocide trial against US-backed General Efrain Rios Montt, other war crimes trials have been working their way through the Guatemala courts, confronting endemic racism and repression, impunity and corruption.

In this archive, articles and reports about these ‘other war crimes’ trials, and about work to end systemic corruption and impunity.

2000 May 30 - Overcoming Impunity in Guatemala: The “Dos Erres Massacre” Goes to Trial - Communique #1

2002 August 25 - “‘Fighters’ Demand Open Old Wounds in Central America”, New York Times Article by D. Gonzales, & RA commentary

2002 October 08 - “Tale of Two Sisters”, Article about Myrna Mack case

2005 July 28 - “Guatemalan Government’s Apology Leaves Unanswered Questions”, by T. Willard

2006 February 22 - “Guatemala Massacre Survivors Paid After 24 Years”, Reuters Article by M. Rosenberg

2009 January 14 - More Threats Against People & Organizations Seeking Truth About and Justice for State Crimes & Genocide of the Past

2009 March 07 - “Groundbreaking Arrest Made in Guatemalan Disappearance Case” National Security Archives Update

2010 January 08 - Systemic Injustice and Impunity, part 1

2010 January 15 - Systemic Injustice and Impunity, part 2

2010 April 27 - “Jennifer Harbury’s Quest for Justice in Guatemala: Could it Again Shake Up Washington?”, Article by A. Bird

2010 June 09 - Urgent Action From Jennifer Harbury: Bamaca Case in Guatemala

2010 June 14 - “Organized Crime, Ethical Crimes, Financial Crimes, Hard-Line Crimes”, by C. Sánchez Alfaroe

2010 July 28 - “Impunity & Justice Update”, by J. Harbury; “Ex-Guatemalan Commando in Fort Lauderdale Court Admits Lying About Massacre”, by A. Chardy; “Guatemala: Naming the ‘Disappeared”, by D. Valladares

2010 August 15 - “Cracks in the Wall of Impunity & Corruption”, By A. Bird

2010 November 09 - “‘I Wanted Him Back Alive.’ An Account of Edgar Fernando García’s Case From Inside ‘Tribunals Tower’”, Article by K. Doyle

2011 January 06 - “Guatemala Under Siege - Two Steps Backwards”, Article by A. Bird

2011 February 21 - SOSA ORANTES Press Release: Human Rights Groups Seek Denial of Bail to Guatemalan in Calgary Accused of Crimes Against Humanity

2011 July 27 - “Guatemalan Tries Soldiers on Massacre Charges”, Aljazeera Article

2011 July 29 - “Guatemalan War Rape Survivors: ‘We have no voice’”, The Guardian Article O. de Pablo

2011 August 05 - Democracy Now Interview with A. Bird - Guatemalan Soldiers Sentenced to 6,060 Years in Prison for Role in 1982 Massacre

2011 August 24 - No More Politics & Business as Usual with War Criminals in Guatemala (or Anywhere)

2011 September 04 - “Accused Guatemalan War Criminal Facing Extradition”, The Canadian Press Article

2012 March 09 - Mass grave exhumations continue … Genocide trials continue …

2012 March 18 - Truth, Memory & Justice for Plan de Sanchez Massacre Victims

2012 March 23 - A Bit of Justice for “Material” Authors of Genocide and Massacres: Impunity for “Intellectual” Authors Continues

2012 April 09 - “On the Problem of Femicide”, LA Review of Books Article by Aaron Shulman

2013 January 04 - “Guatemala’s ‘Little Schools of the Americas’”, Article by D. Paley

2013 May 10 - Rape During Genocides Against Mayan Peoples in Guatemala

2014 November 05 - “Guatemalan Military Officers Face Sexual Slavery Charges in Historic Trial”, By L. Mendez

2015 January 21 - Guilty in Guatemala - The January 31, 1980, Spanish Embassy Massacre: This is how long a measure of justice takes in Guatemala

2015 May 05 - Organized Crime Linked to President, Vice-President and Government Officials. Global companies and investors do profitable business with them

2015 May 17 - “Guatemala On Brink of Crisis After Vice-President Falls to Corruption Scandal”, Guardian Article by J. Tuckerman; G. Russell Commentary

2015 May 30 - “Jail for Corrupting Mining Companies”: Thousands Gather in Guatemala To Demand Resignation of President & End to Corruption and Impunity

2015 June 15 - “Thousands of Protesters Demand Resignation of President in Guatemala”, Guardian Article

2015 June 21 - “Anti-Corruption, Repression and Impunity Protester Cheered in Guatemala City”, BBC article

2015 August 24 - “Guatemala’s President Faces Impeachment Over Alleged Links to Corruption Case”, Vice Article by J. Abbott

2015 August 25 - Public Letter: Are the Canadian government, mining companies and even pension funds participating in and/or profiting from Guatemalan corruption and impunity?

2015 September 05 - “A New Guatemala Slowly Emerges”, Boston Globe by S. Kinzer

2015 September 08 - “Guatemalan Judge Formally States That Ex-President Otto Perez Molina is ‘Linked’ to Graft Scandal”, Telesur Article

“2016 January 07 - “18 Former Guatemalan Military Officers Arrested for Crimes Against Humanity”, Article by A. Bird

2016 January 09 - “Guatemala Arrests Former Military Officers in Connection With Massacres”, NYT Article by E. Malkin

2016 February 01 - “Sepur Zarco” Gang-Rape And Sexual Slavery Trial Begins Against Former Members of U.S. - Baked Guatemalan Military

2016 February 28 - “Guilty! Former Members of U.S. - Trained, Armed and Funded Guatemalan Military Found Guilty of Gang-Rape and Sexual Slavery”

2016 March 01 - “Justice At Last for Guatemalan Women as Military Officers Jailed for Sexual Slavery”, Guardian Article by N. Lakhani

2016 July 19 - “Eight Military Officers to Stand Trial in CREOMPAZ Grace Crimes Case”, Article by J. Burt

2016 November 18 - “Dos Erres” Trial in Guatemala

2017 February 27 - Courageous, Never-Ending War Crimes Trials in Guatemala: the Dos Erres and Chichupac Massacre

2017 March 29 - Guatemalan War Criminals Flee Justice; Government not complying with 14 sentences related to genocide, disappearances and massacres

2017 August 28 - “Guatemala President Softens Stand on Expelling Graft [Endemic Corruption and Impunity] Prober”, NYT Article

2017 September 14 - “Guatemala’s Democratic Crisis Point”, NYT Article by A. Isaacs

2017 September 25 - “Let’s stop pretending we believe they’re politicians: the vast majority are criminals, delinquents, truants, thieves: tricksters and pretenders”, Plaza Publica Article

2018 September 07 - Guatemala’s military-backed government, staunch ally of the U.S. and Canada, trying to close CICIG prosecutorial body investigating Guatemalan president and other officials for corruption and organized crime

2018 September 11 - “Without a U.N.-backed commission, land rights activists face more deadly persecution in Guatemala”, Washington Post Article by R. Morales & M. Taylor

2018 November 23 - “Indigenous Leaders at Risk Amid Guatemalan Political Crisis”, Article by S. Cuffe

2019 January 16 - “Forget the border wall, a coup in Guatemala is the real emergency”, the Hill Article by E. Oglesby

2019 February 11 - In Guatemala, are justice & the rule of law victims of a U.S. - Canada - Guatemala backroom deal?

2019 March 07 - “Central Americans confront amnesty for war crimes: Opposition grows to legislative initiatives in Guatemala and El Salvador that would set war criminals free”, Al Jazeera Article by S. Cuffe

2019 March 25 - “Interview with Ivan Velasquez, Commissioner of CICIG (International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala)”, by J. Garcia

2019 May 10 - Maya Achi women, Sexual violence war crimes trial in Guatemala

2019 August 30 - “Guatemala in grip of ‘mafia coalition;’”, Associated Press Article

2019 September 09 - “Guatemala’s congress approves state of siege despite protests”, Al Jazeera Article by S. Cuffe

2019 December 17 - Guatemalan sexual violence war crimes trial comes to a Boston Court

2019 December 25 - Rape as political repression in Guatemala: From the Hudbay Minerals Lawsuits (Canada) to a deportation hearing (Boston, USA) of a Guatemalan war criminal

2021 May 25 - “Guatemala disappeared: Reuniting families with the remains of loved ones”, BBC article by James Rodriguez

2021 June 15 - Republication of “Unearthing the Truth: Exhuming a Decade of Terror in Guatemala”, by G. Russell with S. Key & A. Butwell

2021 June 21 - Justice in Guatemala for “Death Squad dossier” war crimes trial; Statement by Canadian organizations in solidarity with Guatemala

2021 July 27 - “Guatemala's Top Anti-Corruption Attorney Flees Country”, El Faro English Article

2021 July 28 - “Interview with Former Guatemalan prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval en route to exile”, El Faro Article by C. Martínez & G. Labrador

2021 September 22 - Still missing: Tens of thousands of disappeared people in Guatemala; Article by E.Ellis

2022 January 10 - “A Peace Resembling War” in Guatemala: Commentary by G.Russell

2022 January 18 - “Weaving Justice with the 36 Maya Achi Women” War crimes, sexual assault trial in Guatemala; NACLA Article by J. Burt and P. Estrada

2022 March 22 - “Judge Aifán, from Exile: ‘My life was in danger in Guatemala’”, El Faro Article By J.L. Sanz

2022 April 12 - ICE War Crimes Center pursuing Guatemalan war criminals hiding in the U.S. that participated in the Chixoy Dam/Rio Negro massacres; Washington Post article by K. Sieff and N. Miroff

2022 May 4 - “The Exile of Guatemala’s Anti-Corruption Efforts”, New Yorker article by J. Blitzer exposes endemic corruption of Guatemalan judiciary & gov’t

2022 May 9 - “Ex-Guatemala officers to stand trial for civil war crimes”, Washington Post Article by S. Perez

2022 June 20 - “Miguel Ángel Gálvez: 'We are spectators of how a country is going down the drain'", Prensa Comunitaria article by J. de León

2022 June 21 - Raising funds for “Military Diary” crimes against humanity trial in Guatemala, spearheaded by FAMDEGUA

2022 August 1 - “In Widening Crackdown, Renowned Journalist Arrested in Guatemala”, New York Times article by O. Lopez

2022 August 15 - Solidarity Letter with the Families and Plaintiffs of Military Diary Case in Guatemala

2022 September 27 - ““We will never be silent” Chronicle of a night when Washington listened to two Mayan women who survived horror”, Prensa Comunitaria Article By H. Silva

2022 November 17 - “Judicial gunshot” El Faro News Editorial by R. Gressier and J.L. Sanz

2022 December 07 - “Guatemala’s El Periodico Newspaper, Facing Government Pressure, Stops Print Edition”, AP Article in the LA Times

2022 December 13 - “The Power of Rigoberta Menchu, a Nobel Laureate”, Article By P.Yates in Skylight flims

2023 March 8 - “Disassembling the Death Squad Dossier (Military Diary) Case”, El Far News by J. Burt & P. Estrada

2023 March 17 - “Guatemalan Regime Captures Orlando Lopez, a War Crimes Prosecutor, and Detains him in Military Jail”, by G. Russell

2023 April 12 - “With the Death Squad Dossier, I Understood that Guatemala is Designed for Impunity”, El Faro Interview with exiled Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez, by J. L. Sanz

2023 April 25 - On-going jailings of judges, lawyers and prosecutors by U.S. and Canadian-backed “Pacto de Corruptos”; Various Articles

2023 May 9 - “A Hard, Normal Day in Guatemala, Under Boot of the Pacto de Corruptos”, by G Russell

2023 June 13 - “We Demand Justice for Rancho Bejuco Massacre”, Asociación Bufete Jurídico Popular Communiqué

2023 June 14 - “‘Doing Journalism is a Crime’: Guatemalan Publisher José Rubén Zamora Faces 40 years Behind Bars”, DemocracyNow Segment

2023 June 22 - “Jose Ruben Zamora, Enemy Number One”, Prensa Comunitaria Article by H. Silva