18 Ex-Military Guatemalan Leaders Arrested for Crimes against Humanity

During U.S.-Backed Dirty War

Democracy Now

El general retirado Retired general Manuel Benedicto Lucas García (front). Photo: elnuevoherald.com
Retired general Manuel Benedicto Lucas García (front). Photo: elnuevoherald.com

HAVANA TIMES – In a stunning development, Guatemalan police have arrested 18 ex-military leaders on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the decades-long, U.S.-backed dirty war against Guatemala’s indigenous communities.

The ex-military leaders face charges of ordering massacres and forced disappearances during the conflict, which led to perhaps a quarter-million deaths. Many of the arrested former military leaders were backed by the United States, including Manuel Benedicto Lucas García, who had worked closely with U.S. military officials to develop a system of attacking the highlands where Guatemala’s indigenous Mayan communities reside. The system involved decapitating and crucifying people.

We speak to investigative journalist and activist Allan Nairn.

9 thoughts on “18 Ex-Military Guatemalan Leaders Arrested for Crimes against Humanity

  • Don’t lie KEC. The truth is bad enough. The OWS protesters who were arrested and mistreated were protesting at public monuments without a permit. That is against the law. I personally witnessed the protest that took place in Oakland, California. The protesters who were arrested were camping in a public space. They were using the bathroom behind trees and pitched tents where children played soccer.

  • Moses, this is not always true and you know it. What happened to those disgruntled Americans who occupied the Square of the financial institutions, were they given a High Five and told “Well done!” Or were they beset up by Police with batons and in riot gear, Police Dogs and tear gas? So much for freedom of the working class!!

  • So now you are an eagle?

  • Moses my brother, you have not commented on the indictment in the article where your country, the so-called defender of human rights abuses, is up in arms with the military murderers in Guatemala. Evidence has been presented in this article indicting your country to be the most anti- working class country in the world.This article has proven that America will join forces with anyone and with any organization to keep the working class people of the world in their rightful place so that they could continue to live in squalor, illiteracy and sickness and disease. They have also worked hand in hand to create most, if not all the terrorist organizations existing in the world today in order to destroy leaders and countries who they cannot control. Luis Posado who was involved in the bombing of the Cubana Airline off the Coast of Barbados in 1976 is walking a free man on the streets of Florida today. Just imagine, The America who condemns the Castro’s, the America which touts Human Rights Abuses, was hand in glove with the vilest murderers of Human Rights Abusers. Its like pointing a finger at others and accusing them of committing atrocities so that all attention could be diverted from you the actual criminal and worst offender and committer of the most abnoxious atrocities.. If something is worth criticizing I am man enough to criticize it. If it is worth complimenting, I will be a Giant and a Gulliver to applaud it. I will always be an eagle, soaring high above!!

  • I have never commented that the US is perfect. On the contrary, where I have disagreed with the official policy of the Obama administration, I have heartily criticized this administration and any other. For example, I disagree with Obama’s plan for Cuba. That’s the difference KEC. Here in the US, you can openly disagree with the government. Unlike in Cuba, where it is AGAINST THE LAW, to publicly speak, print or demonstrate against the Castros, you and I are free to criticize our government and seek redress against the government for any harm we have incurred. Big difference.

  • It would appear that you compliment HT when you agree and criticize when you disagree. The “truth” has nothing to do with your comments.

  • Let the families of those who were murdered be there to witness the trial and the execution. Whoever American supported the military leaders, should be lined up for execution as well; whichever company or mutinational which reaped huge profits from the murder of those people should be lined up there as well. The American Government which was in power at that time and turned a blind eye to all those Human Rights atrocities should be lined up as well! So much for the Capilaist system of development! Cheap Labour and no value on human life!!! I am personally lokking for comments from my good comrades Moses and Informed Consent.

  • Havana Times, You see what I have been telling you all along? America possesses no moral authority to condemn the Castro’s and any other Socialist country which does not embrace the capitalist system of development, because they have supported the worst of the worst dictators and oppressors of the working class people in the world. how could the Castro;s adopt a policy where union members disappeared, where persons with socialist tendencies were executed by the military, where people were tortured by the military leaders. How could the Castro’s introduce such a system if they were bent on liberating their people? HOW? AND America has the effrontery to label the Castro’s as dictators? Just imagine that, when they have been hand in glove with the most murderous of murderers? It is not that we hate America and its people, what we hate is the crookedness of its foreign policies, its anti working class people stance, its hypocrisy and double standards, its arrogance, its forked tongue which nobody can trust, its warlike attitude in the world always creating wars so that the share holders in the military industrial complexes could realize humongous profits at the expense of peoples lives and the destruction of property and countries. dipping its nose in the internal affairs of sovereign countries as if it was divinely ordained to be the world’s policeman, disrespecting the Charter of the United Nations and behaving like the world’s greatest bully. 2016 is a leap year; a leap year comes around every four years or when you can divide the last two digits without getting a remainder. If you divide 16 by 4 the answer is four(4). This leap year seems to be the year of repentance for Havana Times. It seems as if there was some soul searching in the old year 2015 and they have come with a New Year Resolution of fair reporting and not the biased stand of attacking Cuba and Cuba alone. You see, I was a soccer referee for thirty years and had to blow the whistle unbiasedly. When you are unbiased, you earn the respect of both players and spectators. You will observe that I compliment when compliments are due and I criticize when criticisms are due. You are going good so long for the New Year. I wish you continued progress in your new approach to reporting the news in the New Year!!

  • Give them a fair trial and then shoot them.

Comments are closed.