"Crimes against Humanity: Landmark Cases", by Rigoberta Menchú
Between 2013 and 2016, several landmark cases have been tried in Guatemala thanks to the battle fought for years by concerned citizens against the impunity of those who committed acts so heinous that they are considered an affront to the entire international community: crimes against humanity.
| Duration: | 1 hour 30 minutes |
The assault and burning of the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala in 1980 claimed the lives of 37 people. Thirty-four years later, former police chief Pedro García Arredondo was tried and sentenced to 90 years in prison for his role in the affair.
In 2013, a court found José Efraín Ríos Montt and Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide. However, their convictions were overturned and a retrial began in 2016.
Another historic verdict was announced in 2016, finally condemning the serious human rights violations committed in the village of Sepur Zarco—where a military base had been established for "resting the troops"—against women of the Q'eqchi tribe who were subjected to forced labour and sexual slavery for years by members of the Guatemalan army.
Speaker: Rigoberta Menchú Tum (Guatemala) is a K'iche' Indian woman who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 in recognition of her efforts to lead the struggle for social justice in her own country and internationally. Winner of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education in 1990, she was awarded the rank of Commander in the French Legion of Honour by the Republic of France in 1996 and won the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 1998. She has also received more than 30 honorary doctorates from different universities across the globe.
During the civil war that ravaged Guatemala for 40 years, Menchú lost her father at the burning of the Spanish Embassy, her mother, who was abducted and never seen again, and her brother, murdered by the army. She participated actively in the signing of the Peace Accords in Guatemala and has devoted her life to fighting against impunity in her country.
Coordinated by: Association of Guatemalan Women (AMG).
