Guatemalan court finds former dictator Rios Montt guilty of genocide

Reuters ^ | Fri May 10, 2013 7:18pm EDT | Mike McDonald

[Olog-hai]

A Guatemalan court on Friday found former dictator Efrain Rios Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity during the bloodiest phase of the country’s 36-year civil war.

He was sentenced to 50 years in prison on the genocide charge and 30 years for crimes against humanity. It was the first time a former head of state had been found guilty of genocide in his or her own country. …

Prosecutors say Rios Montt turned a blind eye as soldiers used rape, torture and arson to try to rid Guatemala of leftist rebels during his 1982-1983 rule, the most violent period of a 1960-1996 civil war in which as many as 250,000 people died. …

[Monterrosa-24]

I'm not convinced of his guilt. At the time we had a degree of Marxist momentum in Central America with Nicaragua Red and El Salvador as the Cold War hot spot. Then we had all the Leftist propaganda against the right in all of Central America which was typically lies. In Guatemala's case it was I Rigoberta Minchu or some such hoax.

What about all the terrorist guerrillas and the civilians they kidnapped and murdered?

[gleeaikin]

It was really bad in El Salvador too, which is why we have so many immigrants from those countries.

[the808bass]

Only righties are tried for war crimes later on.

I've been to Guatemala a few times, and the K'iche people do not monolithically regard Rigoberta as some sort of hero. According to the locals in one town, she wouldn't dare show her face there. In their words, she was responsible for the deaths of dozens of their people.

I'll await her trial with bated breath.

[gotribe]

There is still hope for us.