Manuel E. Yepe: Guademala: Justice and Conditional Sovereignty (May 2013)

JUSTICE AND CONDITIONAL SOVEREIGNTY
By Manuel E. Yepe

Google translation. Pending the human one.

Guatemala has been the source of contradictory news involving two former presidents of the Central American nation and question core aspects of the exercise of national sovereignty and the functioning of the judicial system.

Caused outrage across Latin America the news that the penalty would be suspended eighty years in prison for genocide imposed on Guatemala former dictator Efrain Rios Montt.

The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Guatemala, annulled on Monday May 20 sentenced to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity imposed on May 10, ordering that the trial retrotrajera to the state it was 18 April, for alleged violations of due process. It was alleged that the President of the Court resumed the trial on April 30 without waiting for the judgment of the highest court on an appeal by the defense of Rios Montt.

Under the powerful political interests and substantial financial resources that support the former general, it is obvious that it is testing the strength of justice in Guatemala.

In solidarity with the victims and protest the annulment of the judgment, demonstrations were held in several Latin American nations and the capital of Guatemala held a protest which he said a director of the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH) , which is involved in the judicial process against Rios Montt as a plaintiff, was aimed to "let the world know of the genocide they suffered Ixil Indians in Guatemala and report attempts to leave unpunished."

When he met the initial conviction, the jubilation was based on that is this the first time a tyrant of many that Washington has used as overseers in the countries it considers its backyard-would have to pay for their crimes, although the sentence seems mild compared to the gravity of the crimes charged.

While the real culprit-the government of the United States-did not appear among the trial, the greatest merit of the surprising sentence was precisely its unprecedented nature.

Trained at the School of the Americas, General Efrain Rios Montt Guatemala bullied for two years (1982-83) after taking power in a military coup, as a close ally of Washington. He is considered responsible for 1,771 deaths, 1,400 human rights violations and the displacement of at least 29,000 Indians.

In December 1982, President Ronald Reagan traveled to Guatemala to bridge praise the dictator Rios Montt "for their efforts and dedication to democracy and social justice". A few days later were massacred 251 men, women and children by the military in the village of Las Dos Rs.

Characteristic of the policy of double standards on human rights of the United States government in its external relations is the support provided to "his" tyrants, obscuring their excesses while unruly rulers demonized. All supported in his giant media machine and unscrupulous diplomacy dollars.

Rios Montt's conviction was reminiscent of the many cases of genocidal dictators like Duvalier of Haiti, Somoza in Nicaragua, Stroessner of Paraguay, Castelo Branco in Brazil, Trujillo in the Dominican Batista in Cuba, Pinochet in Chile and many more than in Latin America have been unpunished for shame of humanity.

The other process that has rocked Guatemala currently has different characteristics in many ways but there are similarities. It was the surprise extradition to the United States, on Friday May 24, the Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo also, wanted by the United States for the alleged use of that country's banks to launder 70 million Guatemalan tax dollars.

The case began in May 2011, when the Criminal Court ruled in favor of Portillo, whom the public prosecutor accused of embezzlement by the diversion of funds from the Ministry of Defence.

In April 2013, an Appeals Chamber confirmed the acquittal of the Court, but on May 15 the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court rejected the appeal filed by the former president against the acquittal to prevent failure to stay firm of the Trial Chamber confirmed his innocence of the crime of embezzlement and so prevent his extradition.

Guatemala is located in the vortex of a political rather than a legal conflict in which the U.S. meddling in the internal affairs of the Central American country appears to play a role.

May 2013.

		JUSTICE AND CONDITIONAL SOVEREIGNTY By Manuel E. Yepe Google translation. Pending the human one. Guatemala has been the source of contradictory news involving two former presidents of the Central American nation and question core aspects of the exercise of national sovereignty and the functioning of the judicial system. Caused outrage across Latin America the news that the penalty would be suspended eighty years in prison for genocide imposed on Guatemala former dictator Efrain Rios Montt. The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Guatemala, annulled on Monday May 20 sentenced to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity imposed on May 10, ordering that the trial retrotrajera to the state it was 18 April, for alleged violations of due process. It was alleged that the President of the Court resumed the trial on April 30 without waiting for the judgment of the highest court on an appeal by the defense of Rios Montt. Under the powerful political interests and substantial financial resources that support the former general, it is obvious that it is testing the strength of justice in Guatemala. In solidarity with the victims and protest the annulment of the judgment, demonstrations were held in several Latin American nations and the capital of Guatemala held a protest which he said a director of the Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH) , which is involved in the judicial process against Rios Montt as a plaintiff, was aimed to "let the world know of the genocide they suffered Ixil Indians in Guatemala and report attempts to leave unpunished." When he met the initial conviction, the jubilation was based on that is this the first time a tyrant of many that Washington has used as overseers in the countries it considers its backyard-would have to pay for their crimes, although the sentence seems mild compared to the gravity of the crimes charged. While the real culprit-the government of the United States-did not appear among the trial, the greatest merit of the surprising sentence was precisely its unprecedented nature. Trained at the School of the Americas, General Efrain Rios Montt Guatemala bullied for two years (1982-83) after taking power in a military coup, as a close ally of Washington. He is considered responsible for 1,771 deaths, 1,400 human rights violations and the displacement of at least 29,000 Indians. In December 1982, President Ronald Reagan traveled to Guatemala to bridge praise the dictator Rios Montt "for their efforts and dedication to democracy and social justice". A few days later were massacred 251 men, women and children by the military in the village of Las Dos Rs. Characteristic of the policy of double standards on human rights of the United States government in its external relations is the support provided to "his" tyrants, obscuring their excesses while unruly rulers demonized. All supported in his giant media machine and unscrupulous diplomacy dollars. Rios Montt's conviction was reminiscent of the many cases of genocidal dictators like Duvalier of Haiti, Somoza in Nicaragua, Stroessner of Paraguay, Castelo Branco in Brazil, Trujillo in the Dominican Batista in Cuba, Pinochet in Chile and many more than in Latin America have been unpunished for shame of humanity. The other process that has rocked Guatemala currently has different characteristics in many ways but there are similarities. It was the surprise extradition to the United States, on Friday May 24, the Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo also, wanted by the United States for the alleged use of that country's banks to launder 70 million Guatemalan tax dollars. The case began in May 2011, when the Criminal Court ruled in favor of Portillo, whom the public prosecutor accused of embezzlement by the diversion of funds from the Ministry of Defence. In April 2013, an Appeals Chamber confirmed the acquittal of the Court, but on May 15 the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court rejected the appeal filed by the former president against the acquittal to prevent failure to stay firm of the Trial Chamber confirmed his innocence of the crime of embezzlement and so prevent his extradition. Guatemala is located in the vortex of a political rather than a legal conflict in which the U.S. meddling in the internal affairs of the Central American country appears to play a role. May 2013.
		JUSTICIA Y SOBERANÍA CONDICIONADAS Por Manuel E. Yepe Guatemala ha sido la fuente de contradictorias noticias que involucran a dos exmandatarios de esa nación centroamericana y cuestionan aspectos medulares acerca del ejercicio de su soberanía nacional y el funcionamiento de su sistema judicial. Gran indignación causó en toda América Latina la noticia de que sería suspendida la sanción de ochenta años de prisión por genocidio impuesta al exdictador guatemalteco Efraín Ríos Montt. La Corte de Constitucionalidad, máximo tribunal de Guatemala, anuló el lunes 20 de mayo la condena a 80 años de prisión por genocidio y crímenes de lesa humanidad impuesta el 10 de mayo, ordenando que el juicio se retrotrajera al estado en que se hallaba el 18 de abril, por supuestas violaciones del debido proceso. Se alegó que la Presidenta del Tribunal reanudó el juicio el 30 de abril sin esperar el fallo de la máxima instancia sobre un recurso presentado por la defensa de Ríos Montt. En virtud de los poderosos intereses políticos y cuantiosos recursos financieros que respaldan al ex general, es obvio que se está poniendo a prueba la solidez de la justicia en Guatemala. En solidaridad con las víctimas y repudio a la anulación de la sentencia, se llevaron a cabo manifestaciones en varias naciones latinoaméricanas y en la capital de Guatemala tuvo lugar una protesta que, según declaró un directivo del Centro de Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos (CALDH), que participa en el proceso judicial contra Ríos Montt como querellante, tuvo como propósito hacer "que el mundo conociera del genocidio que padecieron los indígenas ixiles en Guatemala y denunciar los intentos por dejarlo impune". Cuando se conoció el fallo condenatorio inicial, el júbilo se basó en que sería ésta la primera vez que un tirano -de los tantos que Washington ha utilizado como mayorales en los países que considera su patio trasero- tendría que pagar por sus crímenes, aunque la pena impuesta pareciera leve en comparación con la gravedad de los crímenes imputados. Si bien el verdadero culpable -el gobierno de los Estados Unidos- no aparecía entre los sometidos a juicio, el mérito mayor de la sorpresiva condena era justamente su carácter inédito. Capacitado en la Escuela de las Américas, el general Efraín Ríos Montt tiranizó Guatemala durante dos años (1982-83) tras asumir el poder mediante un golpe militar, como estrecho aliado de Washington. Es considerado responsable de 1.771 muertes, 1.400 violaciones de los derechos humanos y el desalojo de no menos de 29.000 indígenas. En diciembre de 1982, el presidente Ronald Reagan viajó a Guatemala para colmar de elogios al dictador Ríos Montt “por sus esfuerzos y dedicación a la democracia y la justicia social”. Pocos días después fueron masacrados 251 hombres, mujeres y niños por los militares en la localidad de Las Dos Erres. Característico de la política de doble rasero en materia de derechos humanos del gobierno de Estados Unidos en sus relaciones externas es el respaldo que brinda a “sus” tiranos, invisibilizando sus desmanes mientras demoniza a los gobernantes indóciles. Todo ello apoyado en su gigantesca maquinaria mediática y su inescrupulosa diplomacia de los dólares. La condena a Ríos Montt hizo recordar los muchos casos de dictadores genocidas como Duvalier de Haití; Somoza en Nicaragua; Stroessner de Paraguay; Castelo Branco en Brasil; Trujillo en Dominicana; Batista en Cuba; Pinochet en Chile y tantos más que en Latinoamérica han quedado impunes para vergüenza de la humanidad. El otro proceso que ha conmovido la actualidad guatemalteca tiene características distintas aunque en muchos aspectos existan similitudes. Fue la sorpresiva extradición a Estados Unidos, el viernes 24 de mayo, del también expresidente guatemalteco Alfonso Portillo, reclamado por la justicia de Estados Unidos por la supuesta utilización de bancos de ese país para el lavado de 70 millones de dólares del erario guatemalteco. El caso comenzó en mayo del 2011, cuando el Tribunal Penal se pronunció a favor de Portillo, a quien el Ministerio público acusó de peculado por el desvío de fondos del Ministerio de Defensa. En abril de 2013, una Sala de Apelaciones confirmó la sentencia absolutoria del Tribunal, pero el 15 de mayo la Cámara Penal de la Corte Suprema de Justicia rechazó el recurso de casación presentado por el exmandatario contra la sentencia absolutoria para evitar que quedara firme el fallo de la Sala que confirmó su inocencia por el delito de peculado y así impedir su extradición. Guatemala se encuentra situada en el vórtice de un conflicto más político que jurídico en el que la intromisión estadounidense en los asuntos internos del país centroamericano parece desempeñar un papel determinante. Mayo de 2013.