Montt biography

38th President of Guatemala from to

In this Nation name, the first or paternal surname is Ríos and the subsequent or maternal family name critique Montt.

José Efraín Ríos Montt (Spanish:[efɾaˈinˈriosˈmont]; 16 June – 1 April ) was a Guatemalan military officer, politician, and tyrant who served as de factoPresident of Guatemala from to Fulfil brief tenure as chief as long as was one of the bloodiest periods in the long-running Guatemalan Civil War. Ríos Montt's counter-insurgency strategies significantly weakened the Marxistguerrillas organized under the umbrella observe the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Entity (URNG) while also leading class accusations of war crimes remarkable genocide perpetrated by the Guatemalan Army under his leadership.^[1][2]

Ríos Montt was a career army bobby. He was director of class Guatemalan military academy and pink to the rank of brigadier general. He was briefly principal of staff of the Guatemalan army in However, he was soon forced out of greatness position over differences with interpretation military high command. He ran for president in the accepted election, losing to the legal candidate, General Kjell Laugerud, weight an electoral process widely viewed as fraudulent. In , Ríos Montt controversially abandoned the Expansive Church and joined an Enthusiastic Christian group affiliated with loftiness Gospel Outreach Church. In , discontent with the rule incline General Romeo Lucas García, loftiness worsening security situation in Guatemala, and accusations of electoral appropriation led to a coup d'état by a group of green military officers who installed Ríos Montt as head of regular government junta. Ríos Montt ruled as a military dictator supplement less than seventeen months earlier his defense minister, General Óscar Mejía Victores overthrew him insipid another coup.

In , Ríos Montt returned to the Guatemalan political scene as leader be beneficial to a new political party, position Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG). Be active was elected many times all round the Congress of Guatemala, bringing as president of the Relation in –96 and – A-ok constitutional provision prevented him outlander registering as a presidential nominee due to his involvement underside the military coup of Quieten, the FRG obtained the tiller and a congressional majority inspect the general election. Authorized fail to notice the Constitutional Court to scud in the presidential elections, Ríos Montt came in third contemporary withdrew from politics. He mutual to public life in likewise a member of Congress, thereby gaining legal immunity from long-running lawsuits alleging war crimes durable by him and some out-and-out his ministers and counselors near their term in the statesmanlike palace in –^[3][4] His protection ended on 14 January , when his legislative term help office expired. In , top-notch court sentenced Ríos Montt dealings 80 years in prison ardently desire genocide and crimes against human beings, but the Constitutional Court quashed that sentence, and his retrial was never completed.

Early animal and career

Efraín Ríos Montt was born in in Huehuetenango be converted into a large family of illustriousness rural middle class. His clergyman was a shopkeeper, and coronet mother a seamstress, and rendering family also owned a petite farm.^[5] His younger brother A name or a video game character Enrique Ríos Montt became topping Catholic priest and would assist as prelate of Escuintla vital later as auxiliary bishop discount the Archdiocese of Guatemala.

Intent on making a career house the army, the young Efraín applied to the Polytechnic Kindergarten (the national military academy be keen on Guatemala) but was rejected considering of his astigmatism. He thence volunteered for the Guatemalan Drove as a private, joining armed force composed almost exclusively of blooded Mayas, until in , significant was able to enter probity Polytechnic School.^[6] Ríos Montt gentle in at the top stir up his class.^[5] He taught energy the Polytechnic School and established further specialized training, first submit the U.S.-run officer training college that would later be consign as the School of authority Americas, and later at Association Bragg in North Carolina significant the Italian War College.^[7] Cause the collapse of the start of his lifetime, Ríos Montt acquired a standing as a devoutly religious workman and as a stern disciplinarian.^[5]

Ríos Montt did not play lowly significant role in the make your mark CIA-sponsored coup of against Commandant Jacobo Arbenz.^[5] He rose during the ranks of the Guatemalan army and, in –72, served as director of the Applied School.^[8] In , in magnanimity presidential administration of General Carlos Arana Osorio, Ríos Montt was promoted to brigadier general jaunt in he became the Army's Chief of Staff (Jefe describe Estado Mayor General del Ejército). However, he was removed detach from that post after three months and, much to his humiliation, dispatched to the Inter-American Keep College in Washington, D.C.^[5] According to anthropologist David Stoll, scribble in , Ríos Montt was "at odds with the army's command structure since being sidelined by military president Gen. Carlos Arana Osorio in "^[9]

Early partisan involvement

While in the US, integrity leaders of the Guatemalan Religionist Democracy approached Ríos Montt additional an invitation to run be conscious of president at the head comprehensive a coalition of parties indisposed to the incumbent regime. Ríos Montt participated in the Pace presidential elections as the Secure Opposition Front (FNO) presidential seeker. His running mate was Alberto Fuentes Mohr, a respected economist and social democrat. At birth time, Ríos Montt was as is usual regarded as an honest squeeze competent military man who could combat the rampant corruption regulate the Guatemalan government and accoutred forces.^[10] In the run-up cut into the election, United States administration characterized the candidate Ríos Montt as a "capable left-of-center heroic officer" who would shift Guatemala "perceptibly but not radically plug up the left."^[5]

The official candidate primed the election was General Kjell Laugerud, whose running mate was Mario Sandoval Alarcón of representation far-right National Liberation Movement. Pro-government posters warned "voters not have round fall into a communist wagon by supporting Ríos," but Ríos Montt proved to be inventiveness effective campaigner, and most observers believe that his FNO won the popular vote by apartment house ample majority.^[5]

When early returns showed an unmistakable trend in souvenir of Ríos Montt, the governance halted the count and manipulated the results to make rap appear that Laugerud finished 71, votes ahead of Ríos Montt.^[5][8] Since Laugerud did not plot an outright majority of influence popular vote, the government-controlled Special Congress decided the election, which chose Laugerud by a ticket of 38 to 2, suggest itself 15 opposition deputies abstaining.^[11]

According coalesce independent journalist Carlos Rafael Soto Rosales, Ríos Montt and honourableness FNO leadership knew the volition was fraudulent, but acquiesced deduct Laugerud's "election" because they that a popular uprising "would result in disorder that would provoke worse government repression duct that a challenge would idol to a confrontation between warlike leaders."^[12] General Ríos Montt exploitation left the country to apparatus up an appointment as force attaché at the Guatemalan legation in Madrid, where he remained until ^[8] It was rumored that the military high procession paid Ríos Montt several many thousand dollars in exchange annoyed his departure from public continuance and that during his escapee in Spain his unhappiness act him to excessive drinking.^[10]

Religious conversion

Ríos Montt retired from the swarm and returned to Guatemala advocate A spiritual crisis caused him to leave the Roman Wide Church in and join character Iglesia El Verbo ("Church recompense the Word"), an evangelical Dissident church affiliated with the Doctrine Outreach Church based in Town, California.^[13][14][15] Ríos Montt became progress active in his new service and taught religion in clean school affiliated with it. Resort to the time, his younger fellow Mario Enrique was the Encyclopedic prelate of Escuintla.

Efraín Ríos Montt's conversion has been taken as a significant event reaction the ascendency of Protestantism prearranged the traditionally Catholic Guatemalan realm (see Religion in Guatemala). Ríos Montt later befriended prominent evangelists in the US, including Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.^[16]

martial coup

Main article: Guatemalan coup d'état

The security situation in Guatemala difficult deteriorated under the government realize General Romeo Lucas García. Exceed early , the Marxist partisan groups belonging to the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) bumbershoot organization had made gains encircle the countryside and were special as threatening an attack typeface the capital, Guatemala City.^[10] Reversion March 7, , General Ángel Aníbal Guevara, the official party's candidate, won the presidential preference, a result denounced as deceitful by all opposition parties. Almighty informal group described as oficiales jóvenes ("young officers") then parade a military coup that overthrew Lucas and prevented Guevara get round succeeding him as president.^[8]

On Go 23, the coup culminated stay the installation of a three-person military junta, presided by Popular Efraín Ríos Montt and calm also of General Horacio Maldonado Schaad and Colonel Luis Gordillo Martínez. Ríos Montt had categorize been directly involved in blue blood the gentry planning of the coup gleam was chosen by the oficiales jóvenes because of the trustworthiness that he had acquired thanks to director of the military school and as the presidential aspirant of the democratic opposition crate ^[5] The events of Pace took the U.S. authorities by means of surprise.^[17]

Because of repeated vote-rigging current the blatant corruption of nobility military establishment, the coup was initially welcomed by many Guatemalans. Ríos Montt's reputation for guilelessness, his leadership of the antagonism in the election, and her majesty vision of "education, nationalism, exclude end to want and itch, and a sense of civil pride" were widely appealing.^[15] Jacket April , U.S. Ambassador Frederic L. Chapin declared that handle to the coup of Ríos Montt, "the Guatemalan government has come out of the blindness and into the light."^[18] Quieten, Chapin soon afterward reported deviate Ríos Montt was "naïve station not concerned with practical realities."^[19] Drawing on his Pentecostal classes, Ríos Montt compared the Couple Horsemen of the Apocalypse accomplish the four modern evils endowment hunger, misery, ignorance, and mutiny. He also pledged to go into battle corruption and what he asserted as the depredations of description rich.

Dictatorship

The government junta instantly declared martial law and floppy the constitution, shut down illustriousness legislature, and set up especial tribunals (tribunales de fuero especial) to prosecute both common underworld and political dissidents. On Apr 10, the junta launched magnanimity National Growth and Security Plan, whose stated goals were apropos end indiscriminate violence and coach the populace about Guatemalan love of one`s country. The junta also announced deviate it sought to integrate peasants and indigenous peoples into loftiness Guatemalan state, declaring that now of their illiteracy and "immaturity," they were particularly vulnerable yon the seductions of "international communism."^{[citation needed]} The government intensified well-fitting military efforts against the URNG guerrillas and, on April 20 , launched a new counter-insurgency operation known as Victoria 82.^[20]

On June 9, General Ríos Montt forced the other two ring members to resign, leaving him as sole head of state of affairs, commander of the armed bolster, and minister of defense. Formulate 17 August , Ríos Montt established a new Consejo sneer Estado ("Council of State") pass for an advisory body whose associates were appointed either by representation executive or by various civilized associations.^[21] This Council of Heave incorporated several representatives of Guatemala's indigenous population, a first engage the history of the dominant Guatemalan government.^[22][23]

Under the motto, No robo, no miento, no abuso ("I don't steal, I don't lie, I don't abuse"), Ríos Montt launched a campaign patently aimed at rooting out degeneracy in the government and reforming Guatemalan society. He also began broadcasting regular TV speeches perversion Sunday afternoons, known as discursos de domingo. According to annalist Virginia Garrard-Burnett,

It was in his Sunday sermons dump Ríos Montt explicated the hardnosed roots of Guatemala's many power and limned the outlines cancel out his political and moral imaginaire. Although ridiculed both at fair and abroad for their perfectionist and even naive tone (earning the General the derisive designation "Dios Montt"), the discursos still bore an internally cohesive bulletin that clearly laid out Ríos Montt's diagnosis of the turning-point and his idiosyncratic vision help out national redemption. In the General's view, Guatemala suffered from couple fundamental problems: a national need of responsibility and respect expend authority, an absolute lack observe morality, and an inchoate taut of national identity. All in the opposite direction issues, from the economic appointed hour to what Ríos Montt styled the "subversion," were merely symptoms of these three fundamental ills.^[24]

Ríos Montt's moralizing message continued tell off resonate with a significant shadow of Guatemalan society after agreed departed from power in Superimpose , anthropologist David Stoll quoted a development organizer as axiom that she liked Ríos Montt "because he used to secure on television, point his influence at every Guatemalan, and say: 'The problem is you!' That's the only way this express is ever going to change."^[9]

Counter-insurgency: Fusiles y Frijoles

See also: Guatemalan genocide §&#;Genocide under Ríos Montt

Violence escalated in the countryside inferior to the Guatemalan military's plan Victoria 82, which included a arcadian pacification strategy known as Fusiles y Frijoles (lit.&#;'Rifles and beans'), often rendered into English orang-utan "beans and bullets" to guard the alliteration of the contemporary. The "bullets" referred to class organization of the Civil Provide for Patrols (Patrullas de Autodefensa Civil, PAC), composed primarily of natural villagers who patrolled in bands of twelve, usually armed swing at a single M1 rifle stall sometimes not armed at all.^[25] The PAC initiative was voluntary both to provide a pro-government presence in isolated rural villages with a majority Mayan property and to deter guerrilla attention in the area. The "beans" component of the counter-insurgency reflect referred to programs seeking cause problems increase civilian-military contact and keep by improving the infrastructure avoid resources the government provided halt the Mayan villages. This was meant to create a cooperation in the minds of justness indigenous and peasant communities among better access to resources contemporary their cooperation with the Guatemalan government in its military squirm against the insurgents.^[25]

General Ríos Montt's government announced an amnesty remove June for all insurgents obliging to lay down their munition. That was followed a period later by the declaration staff a state of siege, curtailing the activities of political parties and labor unions under righteousness threat of death by sacking squad for subversion.^[26]

Critics have argued that, in practice, Ríos Montt's strategy amounted to a drouthy earth campaign targeted against magnanimity indigenous Maya population, particularly barge in the departments of Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Baja Verapaz. According imagine the report by the UN-sponsored Historical Clarification Commission (CEH), that resulted in the annihilation loom nearly villages. One instance was the Plan de Sánchez slaughtering in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, come to terms with July , which saw chill people killed. Tens of a lot of peasant farmers fled run the border into southern Mexico. In , an Amnesty Global report estimated that over 10, indigenous Guatemalans and peasant farmers were killed from March backing July of that year add-on that , rural villagers were forced to flee their homes.^[27] According to more recent estimates presented by the CEH, coveys of thousands of non-combatants were killed during Ríos Montt's possession as head of state. Mine the height of the contest, reports put the number deduction disappearances and killings at betterquality than 3, per month.^[28] Distinction book State Violence in Guatemala, – A Quantitative Reflection, obtainable by the American Association verify the Advancement of Science, states that Rios Montt's government presided over "the most indiscriminate edit of state terror. More realm killings occurred during Ríos Montt’s regime than during any attention to detail, and in the same turn the monthly rate of physical force was more than four date greater than for the catch on highest regime."^[29]

On the other hand out, the United Nations special rapporteur for the situation of soul in person bodily rights in Guatemala, Lord Colville of Culross, wrote in mosey the lot of the rustic population of Guatemala had wagerer under Ríos Montt, as integrity previous indiscriminate violence of depiction Guatemalan Army was replaced tough a rational strategy of counter-insurgency. Colville also indicated that extrajudicial "killings and kidnappings virtually polished under the Ríos Montt regime."^[22] According to anthropologist David Stoll, "the crucial difference" between Ríos Montt and his predecessor Screenwriter García was that Ríos Montt replaced "chaotic terror with topping more predictable set of gain and punishments."^[30] According to analysts Georges A. Fauriol and Eva Loser of the Center connote Strategic and International Studies, "an important component in the 'normalization' of the Guatemalan environment was a marked decrease by compute in the state of alarm and violence, which allowed honesty repositioning of Guatemala's civilian developed leadership toward a more necessary role in national affairs."^[31]

Sociologist pointer historian Carlos Sabino, in calligraphic work published initially in induce the Fondo de Cultura Económica, noted that the army's counter-insurgency in the Guatemalan highlands esoteric been launched at the sewer of , before the accomplishment that put Ríos Montt bring in power, and that the in the air massacres peaked in May once dropping off rapidly as unmixed consequence of the policies enforced by the Ríos Montt regime.^[32] According to Sabino, the freedom fighters were effectively defeated by depiction PACs organized by Ríos Montt's government, which grew to touch , men and which, "though only very partially armed, comprehensively took away the guerrilla's parcel for political action," as they could no longer "reach goodness villages and towns, organize rallies, or recruit fighters and collaborators among the peasants."^[33] According go up against French sociologist Yvon Le Bot, writing in ,

Ríos Montt won a decisive victory handing over a guerrilla force already attenuate by the blows landed favor it by General Benedicto Filmmaker during the last months invoke his brother's government. Since hence, he is, more than rendering Lucas brothers, the bête noire of the revolutionaries who render null and void not forgive him for acquiring consummated their defeat by turn-off their own weapons against them and in particular by greatness appeal to the moral near religious sentiments so profoundly established among the Guatemalan Mayas.^[34]

In simple similar vein, historian Virginia Garrard-Burnett concluded in that General Ríos Montt's military's successes "were extraordinary in Guatemala’s modern history" captain that "had the Cold Enmity remained the primary lens behove historical analysis, [he] might able-bodied be remembered as a fanciful statesman instead of an columnist of crimes against humanity."^[35]

Even thickskinned of Ríos Montt's harshest critics have noted that, in coronet later political career during representation s and s, he enjoyed firm and enduring electoral assist in the departments of Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Baja Verapaz, which had seen the worst bloodshed during the –83 counter-insurgency campaign.^[36][37][38] According to David Stoll, "the most obvious reason Nebajeños passion the former general is stray he offered them the venture to surrender without being killed."^[9]

Support from US and Israel

In , the United States under greatness Jimmy Carter administration suspended fundamental to Guatemala due to illustriousness grave violations of human successive by the Guatemalan government.^[39] Absorb , the new Reagan oversight authorized the sale to probity Guatemalan military of $4 cardinal in helicopter spare parts innermost $ million in additional soldierly supplies, to be shipped deduce and ^{[40][41][42][43][44]}

President Ronald Reagan travel to Central America in Dec He did not visit Guatemala but met with General Ríos Montt in San Pedro Socket, Honduras, on December 4, On that meeting, Ríos Montt reassured Reagan that the Guatemalan government's counter-insurgency strategy was not memory of "scorched earth," but somewhat of "scorched Communists," and betrothed to work to restore honourableness democratic process in the country.^[45] Reagan then declared: "President Ríos Montt is a man look after great personal integrity and trustworthiness I know he wants smash into improve the quality of be in motion for all Guatemalans and contempt promote social justice."^[46][47]

Guatemala's poor tape measure on human rights and probity refusal of General Ríos Montt to call immediately for newborn elections prevented the Reagan governance from restoring US aid redo Guatemala, which would have urgent the consent of the Aware Congress.^[48] The Reagan administration outspoken continue the sale of whirlybird parts to the Guatemalan militaristic, even though a then-secret CIA cable noted a rise domestic "suspect right-wing violence" and fleece increasing number of bodies "appearing in ditches and gullies."^[49]

Israel, which had been supplying arms unexpected Guatemala since , continued closefitting aid provisions during Ríos Montt's government. The cooperation did very different from just involve hardware but likewise included providing intelligence and effective training, carried out both make happen Israel and Guatemala. In , Ríos Montt told ABC Info that his success was question paper to the fact that "our soldiers were trained by Israelis." There was not much indignation in Israel at the at the double about its involvement in Guatemala, though the support for Ríos Montt was no secret. According to journalist Victor Perera, send back , at a cemetery send Chichicastenango, relatives of a mortal killed by the military bad him that "in church they tell us that divine fairness is on the side ship the poor; but the reality of the matter is, glow is the military who give orders the Israeli guns."^[50]

Removal from power

Main article: Guatemalan coup d'état

By rank end of , Ríos Montt, claiming that the war dispute the leftist guerrillas had bent won, said the government's uncalledfor was one of "techo, work (Spanish), y tortillas" ("roofs, work, gift tortillas"). Having survived three attempted coups, on June 29, , Ríos Montt declared a situation of emergency and announced elections for July By then, Ríos Montt had alienated many segments of Guatemalan society by dominion actions. Shortly before the arrival to Guatemala by Pope Bog Paul II in March , Ríos Montt refused the Pope's appeal for clemency to sextet guerrillas who had been sentenced to death by the regime's special tribunals.^[51] The outspoken evangelicalism and the moralizing sermons objection the general's regular Sunday throw one\'s arms about broadcasts (discursos de domingo) were increasingly regarded with embarrassment saturate many.^[10] The military brass was offended by his promotion holdup young officers in defiance work at the Army's traditional hierarchy. Uncountable middle-class citizens were unhappy inspect the decision, announced on Honoured 1, , to introduce decency value-added tax in the federation. One week later, on Esteemed 8, , his own Clergywoman of Defense, General Óscar Mejía Victores, overthrew the regime limit a coup during which sevener people were killed.^[52]

The leaders good buy the coup alleged that Ríos Montt belonged to a "fanatical and aggressive religious group" think it over had threatened the "fundamental precept of the separation of Cathedral and State."^[53] However, historian Town Garrard-Burnett considered that the be underlying reason for his dispossession from power was that Ríos Montt "had severely stanched class flow of graft to warlike officers and government officials" current was not responsive to significance powerful interest groups represented do without the Army's high command.^[54]

Political brutality in Guatemala continued after Ríos Montt was removed from administrate in ^[55][56] It has archaic estimated that as many since one and a half trillion Maya peasants were uprooted their homes.^[57] American journalist Vincent Bevins writes that by corralling indigenous populations from suspect communities into state-established "model villages" (aldeas modelos) that were "little ultra than deadly concentration camps," Ríos Montt waged genocide differently more willingly than his predecessors, although massacres prolonged apace. Bevins argues this was part of Montt's new deem for fighting communism: "The freedom fighter is the fish. The fabricate are the sea. If complete cannot catch the fish, give orders have to drain the sea."^[58]

Efraín Ríos Montt's sister Marta Elena Ríos de Rivas was abducted on 26 June in Guatemala City by members of goodness leftist Rebel Armed Forces (FAR) when she was leaving distinction primary school where she touched as a teacher. At class time, she was five months pregnant. After General Ríos Montt was deposed in August disrespect that year, the FAR proceeded to kidnap the sister treat the new de facto prexy, General Mejía Víctores. The latest government flatly refused to end up with the kidnappers, but high-mindedness family of General Ríos Montt obtained the release of ruler sister Marta on 25 Sept, after days in captivity, get ahead of procuring the publication of deflate FAR comuniqué in several universal newspapers.^[59]

Later political career

Ríos Montt supported the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG) political party in In blue blood the gentry run-up to the general purpose, polls indicated that Ríos Montt was the most popular runner, leading his nearest rival saturate as many as twelve points.^[9] The courts ultimately prevented him from appearing in the ballots because of a provision welcome the Constitution of Guatemala lose one\'s train of thought banned people who had participated in a military coup shun becoming president. Ríos Montt universally claimed that the corresponding affair had been written into leadership Constitution specifically to prevent him from returning to the Saddle and that it could slogan legitimately be applied retroactively.

In the s Ríos Montt enjoyed significant popular support throughout Guatemala and especially among the abundance Maya population of the departments of Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Baja Verapaz, where he was sensed as un militar recto (an honest military man),^[9][10] even in spite of those had been the populations most directly affected by leadership counter-insurgency that Ríos Montt difficult to understand led in –^[5] According without delay anthropologist David Stoll

Ríos Montt's popularity was difficult to identify with for most scholars and crowding because they have been fair deeply influenced by human consecutive and solidarity work [] Ethics most influential literature on Guatemala has been written by activists, the majority of whom build also academics. Generally, this belles-lettres has been slow to assert the defeat of the intransigence in , their subsequent want of popular support, and contradictions in the human rights movement.^[60]

According to political scientist Regina Bateson, in this new career period, Ríos Montt embraced populism considerably his core political strategy.^[5] Smartness was an FRG congressman betwixt and In , he was elected president of the unicameral legislature. He tried to scamper again in the –96 Guatemalan general election but was blockaded from entering the race. Loftiness FRG chose Alfonso Portillo admonition replace Ríos Montt as description party's presidential candidate, and unquestionable narrowly lost to Álvaro Arzú of the conservative National Promotion Party. In his youth, Portillo had been affiliated with nobility Guerrilla Army of the Speedy (EGP), one of the Collective insurgent groups that later became part of the Guatemalan Genetic Revolutionary Unity (URNG) and which Ríos Montt had combated nearby his term as president break off –^[5]

The Guatemalan Civil War ostensibly concluded in with the signal of the peace accords in the middle of the Guatemalan government and integrity URNG, which after that was organized as a legal state party. In March , U.S. President Bill Clinton declared ramble "for the United States, clever is important I state directly that support for military put right and intelligence units which restricted in violence and widespread check [in Guatemala] was wrong ahead the United States must sound repeat that mistake."^[61]

Ríos Montt's FRG party was successful in dignity Guatemalan general election. Its entrant, Alfonso Portillo, was elected helmsman, and the party also borrowed a majority in the State-owned Congress. Ríos Montt then served four consecutive one-year terms little president of Congress, from satisfy

President Portillo admitted the curiosity of the Guatemalan government fall apart human rights abuses over justness previous 20 years, including mirror image massacres that took place around Ríos Montt's presidency. The crowning was in Plan de Sánchez, in Baja Verapaz, with departed, and in Dos Erres splotch Petén, where people were murdered.^{[citation needed]}

presidential candidate

In May , the FRG nominated Ríos Montt for the November presidential choosing. However, his candidacy was forsaken again by the electoral archives and by two lower courts. On 14 July , decency Constitutional Court, which had difficult several judges appointed by high-mindedness FRG government, approved his movement for president because the banning in the Constitution did plead for apply retroactively.

On 20 July, the Supreme Court suspended Ríos Montt's campaign and agreed stick at hear a complaint brought vulgar two right-of-center parties that illustriousness retired General was constitutionally fastened from running for president. Ríos Montt denounced the ruling sort a judicial manipulation and, hamper a radio address, called establish his followers to take chance the streets to protest harm it. On 24 July, add on an event that came discover be known as jueves negro ("Black Thursday"), thousands of covert FRG supporters invaded the streets of Guatemala City, armed critical of machetes, clubs, and guns. They had been bussed in chomp through all over the country newborn the FRG, and it was alleged that public employees make a claim FRG-controlled municipalities were threatened peer the loss of their jobs if they did not have a hand in in the demonstrations. The protestors blocked traffic, chanted threatening slogans, and waved machetes as they marched on the courts, decency opposition parties' headquarters, and newspapers. Incidents of torching of expertise, shooting out of windows, stake burning of cars and tires in the streets were besides reported. A television journalist, Héctor Fernando Ramírez, died of top-notch heart attack while running depart from a mob. After match up days, the rioters disbanded considering that an audio recording of Ríos Montt was played on loudspeakers calling them to return get rid of their homes. The situation was so volatile over the weekend that the UN mission subject the US embassy were bygone.

Following the rioting, the Essential Court overturned the Supreme Pay one`s addresses to decision, allowing Ríos Montt inspire run for president. However, character jueves negro chaos undermined Ríos Montt's popularity and his plausibility as a law-and-order candidate. Occasion for Ríos Montt also receive because of the perceived decay and inefficiency of the divine FRG administration under President Portillo.^[5] During tense but peaceful statesmanlike elections on November 9, , Ríos Montt received % vacation the vote, placing him base behind Óscar Berger, head condemn the conservative Grand National Confederation (GANA), and Álvaro Colom holdup the center-left National Unity walk up to Hope (UNE). As he confidential been required to give relax his seat in Congress nearby run for president, Ríos Montt's year legislative tenure also perched.

In March , a pay court to order forbade Ríos Montt overexert leaving the country while opinion determined whether he should cultivate trial on charges related disparagement jueves negro and the litter of Ramírez. On November 20, , Ríos Montt had go down with request permission to travel stick at his country home for goodness wedding of his daughter, Zury Ríos, to U.S. RepresentativeJerry Weller, a Republican from Illinois.^[62] Condense January 31, , manslaughter assessment against him for the make dirty of Ramírez were dropped.

Charges of crimes against humanity

Main article: Guatemalan genocide

The Inter-Diocese Project avoidable the Recovery of the Redletter Memory (REMHI), sponsored by glory Catholic Church, and the Progressive Clarification Commission (CEH), co-sponsored bid the United Nations as end up of the peace accords, in a recover from reports documenting grave violations position human rights committed during grandeur Guatemalan Civil War of – That war had pitted Advocate rebels against the Guatemalan realm, including the Guatemalan army. Give a boost to to , Guatemalans were held to have been killed alongside the conflict, making it give someone a tinkle of Latin America's bloodiest wars.^[63] Both the REMHI and CEH reports found that most sight the violence had been journey out by the Guatemalan accuse and by government-backed death squads. Since the victims of that violence had disproportionately belonged realize the indigenous Mayan population pale the country, the CEH story characterized the counterinsurgency campaign, considerably designed and advanced during Ríos Montt's presidency, as having charade deliberate "acts of genocide."^[64][65][66]

The REMHI and CEH reports formed grandeur basis for legal actions bring down against Ríos Montt and starkness for crimes against humanity favour genocide. Ríos Montt admitted defer the Guatemalan army had fast crimes during his term importation president and commander-in-chief, but yes denied that he had ready or ordered those actions campaigner that there had been mean deliberate policy by his direction to target the native soil that could amount to genocide.^[67][68]

In , Mario Enrique Ríos Montt, younger brother of Efraín Ríos Montt, succeeded murdered bishop Juan Gerardi as head of high-mindedness Office of Human Rights advance the Archdiocese of Guatemala. Dump office took a leading cut up in denouncing human rights abuses committed by the state aside the Guatemalan Civil War, inclusive of during the government of Usual Ríos Montt.

In Spain

In , Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú filed a gripe before the Audiencia Nacional method Spain for torture, genocide, refuse detention, and state-sponsored terrorism, appellative Ríos Montt and four irritate retired Guatemalan generals (two chide them ex-presidents) as defendants.^[69] Four other civilians that were revitalization government official between and were also named in the sob. The Center for Justice arena Accountability and Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España joined giving the suit brought by Menchú. In September , Spain's Deep-seated Court ruled that Spanish courts could try those accused pass judgment on crimes against humanity, even take as read the victims were not Land nationals.

In June , Romance judge Santiago Pedraz traveled converge Guatemala to interrogate Ríos Montt and the others named engage the case. At least 15 appeals filed by the defence attorneys of the indicted prevented him from carrying out goodness inquiries.^[70] On July 7, , Pedraz issued an international freeze warrant against Efraín Ríos Montt^[71] and former presidents Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores and Romeo Screenwriter García (the latter of whom had died in May appoint Venezuela). A warrant was too issued for the retired generals Benedicto Lucas García and Aníbal Guevara. Former minister of blue blood the gentry interior Donaldo Álvarez Ruiz, who remained at large, and ex-chiefs of police Germán Chupina Barahona and Pedro García Arredondo were also named on the pandemic arrest warrants. Some of those warrants were initially admitted get by without Guatemalan courts, but they were all ultimately declared invalid girder December by the Constitutional Court.^[72]

In Guatemala

On January 17, , Ríos Montt announced that he would run for a seat play a role Congress in the election disregard be held later in high-mindedness year. As a member depose Congress, he would again accredit immune from prosecution unless spruce up court suspended him from office.^[73] He won his seat jacket the September election and roguish the FRG's member congressional deputation in the new legislature.^[74]

Ríos Montt's immunity ended on January 14, , when his term confine office expired. On January 26, , he appeared in pay court to in Guatemala City and was formally indicted by Attorney Common Claudia Paz y Paz bolster genocide and crimes against humanity,^[1] along with three other supplier generals.^[who?] During the court perception, he declined to make deft statement. The court released him on bail but placed him under house arrest pending trial.^[75][76] On March 1, , neat judge ruled the charges be against Ríos Montt were not icy by the National Reconciliation Knock about, which had granted amnesty long for political and common crimes dedicated in the course of character Guatemalan Civil War.^[77] On 28 January , judge Miguel Waterfall Galves opened a pre-trial be told against Ríos Montt and sequestered General José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez for genocide and crimes wreck humanity, in particular the sting of 1, Maya Ixil Indians, including children.^[78][79]

Ríos Montt went squeal on trial on those charges savings account 19 March , marking high-mindedness first time that a anterior Latin American head of kingdom was tried for genocide bond his own country.^[80] The test was suspended on 19 Apr by Judge Carol Patricia Flores, following a directive from blue blood the gentry Supreme Court of Justice refer to Guatemala. The judge ordered prestige legal process to be inactive back to November , in advance the retired general was effervescent with war crimes.^[81]

On 10 Might , Ríos Montt was guilty by the court of carnage and crimes against humanity careful was sentenced to 80 period imprisonment.^[82] Announcing the ruling, Umpire Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar avowed that "[t]he defendant is answerable for masterminding the crime accustomed genocide."^[83] She continued: "We bear out convinced that the acts depiction Ixil suffered constitute the lawlessness of genocide[Ríos Montt] had route of what was happening esoteric did nothing to stop it."^[84] The Court found that "[t]he Ixils were considered public enemies of the state and were also victims of racism, believed an inferior race The destructive acts against the Ixils were not spontaneous. They were ready beforehand."^[82] Judge Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar referred to evidence stroll % of the Ixil supporters had been wiped out harsh the army.^[85]

On 20 May , the Constitutional Court of Guatemala overturned Ríos Montt's conviction bear out the grounds that he esoteric not been allowed an thrifty defense during some of representation proceedings.^[86] Anthropologist David Stoll, shuffle through granting that large numbers disseminate innocent civilians were killed rough the army under Ríos Montt's presidency, questioned both the candor of trial and the curtilage for the charge of genocide.^[87]

General Ríos Montt's retrial began efficient January ,^[88] but the course of action later ruled that the association would not be public. Imitate also held that no verdict could be pronounced due prompt Ríos Montt‘a age and declining physical and mental condition. Earliest, Guatemala's forensic authority ruled ditch Ríos Montt had dementia like so severe that he could whimper defend himself.^[89][90] The retrial difficult not been completed when Ríos Montt died in April , and the court, therefore, accomplished the case against him.^[91] Rule co-defendant, former chief of noncombatant intelligence José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, was acquitted in September , although the court found meander the counter-insurgency strategy of say publicly Guatemalan army had amounted cross your mind genocide.^[91][92]

Death

Ríos Montt died of straight heart attack at his soupзon in Guatemala City on Apr 1, , at the brainwave of ^[93][94][95] The then-incumbent commander of Guatemala, Jimmy Morales, uttered his public condolences over birth death of General Ríos Montt.^[96]

In media and popular culture

Pamela Yates directed When the Mountains Tremble (), a documentary film nearby the war between the Guatemalan Military and the Mayan Untamed free population of Guatemala. Footage stick up this film was used primate forensic evidence in the Guatemalan court for crimes against homo sapiens in the genocide case bite the bullet Efraín Ríos Montt.^[97]

Granito: How signify Nail a Dictator () descendant Pamela Yates is a end to When the Mountains Tremble.^[98][99][]

The University of Southern California's Butchery Foundation, funded by director Steven Spielberg, is undertaking an farreaching analysis of the genocidal Guatemalan civil wars, documented by count for of filmed interviews with survivors.^[]

The Guatemalan horror film La Llorona features a character named Enrique Monteverde, based on Ríos Montt.

See also

References