Why is the general not in jail???

Jill,

The general is not in jail because there is no justice in Guatemala. Whats even harder to handle is that he is admired there by many. Melissa

My first lesson in adoption was from a Guate City family who adopted a survivor of Ríos Montt's scorched earth policy. The little boy was 5 or 6 and had miraculously survived the massacre that killed his family and his entire village. The family that adopted him was friends with a Catholic priest that had rescued a handful of children that had escaped the massacres. He told the family that if these kids didn't find families soon, the army would come to collect them and take them to the concentration camps.

I met this boy a few weeks after he had joined his new family. He had two bullet marks, one on his arm and one on his head. These bullets had been fired by troops under the command of our then chief of State, Gral. Ríos Montt.

Yes, he has supporters, but also many many people fear him. People who admire him are those who either benefited from his actions or people in denial of what happened. Also, there were people who voted for him out of fear. His influence is such, that survivors of the war still believe he and his supporters will know if someone abstained from voting for him.

There is ample documentation on his role in the war and disappearance of entire towns and pretty much anyone who dared raise a voice and denounce his abuses. Many of these documents are in Spanish, but extensive information is also available in English. The George Washington University archives are an excellent source, for example (http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB11/docs/)

I was glad to read this post because I find it very relevant given the current political situation in Guate and its impact on ICA. Kevin mentioned the current living standards that push people to relinquish or abandon children in Guate as a consequence of the war. I'd add that part of the political mess we are living today comes from the elimination, during the military regimes, of most people and initiatives that would have led to better alternatives and governance.

The Weller link to Central America, Guatemala and Ríos Montt, is just the most recent chapter in a long history of, hmm, "interesting" connections between the U.S. and its patio trasero.

Thanks, Kevin, for posting. Chapines need to do a better job of not burying the past before justice is done. Learning and responding to Weller's actions is an opportunity for American APs to influence policy that can in turn improve the rule of law in Guate.

How can Weller be married to someone who is the daughter of a terrorist and she not be required to reveal her financial dealings??? That is incredible! How can he possibly think he can push laws through that will benefit him and not think it will be investigated??? Does he contribute to UNICEF too?

Well-we can only hope recent report that Weller will not seek re-election are true for a host of reasons.