A “SMALL GREAT” STEP FOR GUATEMALAN JUSTICE

A “small great” step for justice was made on Wednesday, November 8 in Guatemala. German Chupina Barahona, former director of the previous administration of the National Police and Angel Aníbal Guevara, former Minister of Defense, both generals, turned themselves into authorities. There was an arrest warrant against both these men for the Spanish Embassy arson in 1981 in Guatemala City.

Earlier this current year (2006), Spanish authorities sent a Judge to Guatemala in order to make a formal law suit against several former people in the government during the civil war in Guatemala (1960-1996). This law suit consists in Provisional Prison without right for a substitutive measure with bail against Efraín Ríos Montt, Oscar Mejía Víctores, Aníbal Guevara, Gérman Chupina, Pedro García Arredondo, Benedicto Lucas, Donaldo Alvarez and Fernando Romeo Lucas. The felonies in the law suit are: genocide, tortures, terrorism and illegal detention. This law suit was given to the Guatemalan Judicial System in order to be studied and decide if it filled all the requirements.

The Judicial System gave a resolution about what they accepted in the law suit and to whom it was applied. The Judicial System ordered Provisional Detention against Pedro García Arredondo, Oscar Mejía Víctores, Gérman Chupina and Aníbal Guevara. The felonies they are accused of are: Homicide, terrorism and kidnapping, but unfortunately not genocide. Although, the Judicial Resolution does not concede the detention of Efraín Ríos Montt because he was not in power when the Spanish Embassy arson happened in 1981.

There was a great fear that this law suit was not going to prosper since these men still have power in Guatemala, and specially the Former President (1982) General Efrain Rios Montt, is very active in the political life of Guatemala. Some of these men, such as the General Efrain Rios Montt, have a great say in the Judicial System; therefore, this is one of the many reasons why there is a lot of corruption in Guatemala. Those who are no longer powerful are the ones who are behind bars currently, but there is an uncertainty that this process will make any progress.

Many Guatemalans await for this process to move forward so that there is finally “justice” against those men who committed so many atrocities when they had the power in their hands. We will see how much power these men still have in Guatemala even though 25 years have passed since they were in power. Let’s hope justice overcomes injustice in this country that has suffered for so many years in hands of dictators and assassins.

By Horacio Darynel Castillo E.