No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeGuatemala detains 13 retired military officers for war crimes

Guatemala detains 13 retired military officers for war crimes

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — Security forces in Guatemala arrested 13 retired military officers on Wednesday, all charged with committing forced disappearance and other human rights crimes during the country’s civil war, the Prosecutor’s Office announced.

Spokeswoman Julia Barrera said the arrests took place in the departments (provinces) of Guatemala and in Alta Verapaz, in the country’s north.

Among those detained were former army chief of staff Benedicto Lucas García, who served during his brother Romeo Lucas García’s presidency (1978-82). Lucas Garcia’s time in office is among the bloodiest of the 36-year conflict.

“According to the investigation … these people were involved in the forced disappearance of men, women and children during the armed conflict, Barrera said.

The detentions came shortly before the Jan. 11 start of a special tribunal to try ex dictator Efraín Ríos Montt for genocide — the latest of several trials against him. Ríos Montt will be represented in court by his lawyers as he suffers from dementia and other medical problems.

If convicted, the former dictator would likely be confined to a hospital or put under house arrest because of his deteriorated health.

Guatemala’s civil war left more than 200,000 people killed or disappeared, according to a United Nations truth commission. The U.N. found that state security forces were responsible for 93 percent of war crimes. Most of the massacres registered during the war were committed in the country’s western highlands, an area with a high indigenous population.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Rincón de la Vieja Volcano Experiences Moderate Eruption

Guanacaste residents woke up to activity from Rincón de la Vieja volcano yesterday morning. The volcano produced a moderate phreatic eruption at 6:08 a.m....

Costa Rican President Brushes Off Surge in Homicides

President Rodrigo Chaves has again brushed off Costa Rica's mounting security problems, labeling them as misunderstandings in a recent interview. Speaking on FOX Noticias,...

From Costa Rica to the US an Expat Longing For Home

There are close to 200,000 people of Tico origin presently living in the US. I have spent the past month in an area where...

Costa Rica OIJ Arrests Human Trafficking Ring Exploiting Minors

The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) dismantled a gang dedicated to human trafficking for the sexual exploitation of minors after carrying out 19 simultaneous raids...

Costa Rica’s Liberia Airport Fixes Runway Issues Overnight

Contractors began repairs on the runway at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport this week, focusing on sections that did not meet required standards after...

Costa Rica Peanut Growing Guide From Planting to Harvest

Not long ago, a neighbor gave us some peanuts she said were from Peru. Since we’ve had good luck growing peanuts, we were excited...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica