Abstract
This chapter is a reflection of what the wartime prosecutions in Guatemala have achieved in the past fifteen years since the signing of the peace agreements. Through their participation in emblematic wartime cases in Guatemala, victims have infused the justice system with accountability to make it harder for individual prosecutors or judges to dismiss the cases; they have brought resources that have resulted in better investigations, better trials and better evidence and even more protection for the brave prosecutors and judges and they have creatively pushed the boundaries of law to advance criminal law and procedural doctrines in accordance with international legal developments. However, these heroic efforts in important individual cases have yielded few lasting reforms in the judicial system of Guatemala. It is time for Guatemala to acknowledge that it has asked too much from the victims and to consider alternative models for addressing the persistent and endemic problems of transitional justice in the country.
The author is Professor of Law and Director of the Inter-American Program at the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. I thank the support of my scholarship by my law school Pacific McGeorge School of Law and the research assistance of Erika González, JD 2012. I dedicate this chapter to the many victims and lawyers of the wartime cases in Guatemala for their valour and tenacity, and in particular Jennifer Harbury who over the years has also become a friend.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Guatemalan Commission for Historical Clarification 1997, Conclusions, Part I.
- 2.
Alvarado 2012.
- 3.
Fauriol and Loser 1991, p. 56.
- 4.
Cerigua Weekly Briefs 1994.
- 5.
Rights Action 2011a.
- 6.
Bird 2012.
- 7.
Tribunal Supremo Electoral de Guatemala 2012.
- 8.
Azpuru 2010, p. 74.
- 9.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2010.
- 10.
Oficina del Arzobispado de Guatemala 2010.
- 11.
Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Guatemala 2007, pp. 20–32.
- 12.
Fundación Myrna Mack 2009, p. 10 (citing Movimiento Pro Justicia study of 998 femicide cases from 2006 and finding that only 3.7 % had led to charges).
- 13.
SecretarÃa de la Paz de la República de Guatemala 1996.
- 14.
Brett 2009.
- 15.
World Bank 2009, pp. 35–61.
- 16.
Paredes 2012.
- 17.
Bird 2012.
- 18.
- 19.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 167.
- 20.
Amnesty International 2011.
- 21.
Padget 2011.
- 22.
Padget 2011.
- 23.
Guatemalan Commission for Historical Clarification 1997, Conclusions, Part I.
- 24.
Impunity Watch 2009, p. 10.
- 25.
Impunity Watch 2009, p. 11.
- 26.
See Sect. 18.3 infra.
- 27.
See Sect. 18.4 infra.
- 28.
Impunity Watch 2009, p. 16.
- 29.
Cuéllar 2011.
- 30.
Aldana 2011.
- 31.
Impunity Watch 2009, p. 18.
- 32.
Alvarado 2012.
- 33.
Bird 2012.
- 34.
Fernández GarcÃa 2004.
- 35.
Fundación Myrna Mack 2009, p. 1.
- 36.
Aldana-Pindell 2002, pp. 1457–1498.
- 37.
Aldana-Pindell 2002, pp. 1437–1456.
- 38.
Aldana-Pindell 2002, pp. 1437–1456.
- 39.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 170.
- 40.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 171.
- 41.
Leonardo Segura 2011, pp. 172, 173.
- 42.
Galis Patiño 2011, p. 8.
- 43.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 27.
- 44.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 175.
- 45.
Impunity Watch 2010b, pp. 29, 32.
- 46.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 182.
- 47.
Fundación de Antropologia Forense de Guatemala 2012.
- 48.
Fundación de AntropologÃa Forense de Guatemala 2012.
- 49.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 179.
- 50.
Fundación Myrna Mack 2007.
- 51.
Impunity Watch 2010b, pp. 29–32.
- 52.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 181.
- 53.
See Sect. 18.4 infra.
- 54.
Guatemalan Commission for Historical Clarification 1997, Conclusions, Part I.
- 55.
Fundación de AntropologÃa Forense de Guatemala 2012.
- 56.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 27.
- 57.
Galis Patiño 2011, p. 17.
- 58.
- 59.
Paz y Paz Bailey 2006, p. 117.
- 60.
Guatemalan Commission for Historical Clarification 1997, Conclusions, Part I.
- 61.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 26.
- 62.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 164.
- 63.
Leonardo Segura 2011, pp. 166, 167.
- 64.
Leonardo Segura 2011, p. 178.
- 65.
Impunity Watch 2010a, p. 15.
- 66.
Impunity Watch 2010a, p. 15.
- 67.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 28.
- 68.
Galis Patiño 2011, p. 11.
- 69.
Leonardo Segura 2011, pp. 164, 165.
- 70.
Impunity Watch 2010a, p. 15.
- 71.
- 72.
Impunity Watch 2010a, p. 11.
- 73.
Impunity Watch 2010a, p. 11.
- 74.
CICIG 2011, p. 4.
- 75.
Impunity Watch 2010a, p. 16.
- 76.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 27.
- 77.
CICIG 2006.
- 78.
Impunity Watch 2010b, pp. 29, 30.
- 79.
Briscoe and Stappers 2012, p. 8.
- 80.
Impunity Watch 2010b, pp. 35, 36.
- 81.
- 82.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 37.
- 83.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 36.
- 84.
CICIG 2011, p. 5.
- 85.
Briscoe and Stappers 2012, p. 15.
- 86.
CICIG 2011, p. 4.
- 87.
CICIG 2011, p. 4.
- 88.
Impunity Watch 2010b, pp. 13, 59.
- 89.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 60.
- 90.
Briscoe and Stappers 2012, pp. 12, 13.
- 91.
Briscoe and Stappper 2012, pp. 21–26 (describing the new criminal trends: complexity and collusion).
- 92.
Brioscoe and Stappers 2012, p. 19.
- 93.
Brioscoe and Stappers 2012, p. 37.
- 94.
Ley para la Protección de Sujetos Procesales y Personas viculadas a la Administración de Justicia Penal (Decreto no. 70-96).
- 95.
González Leche 2002.
- 96.
González Leche 2002, pp. 224–228.
- 97.
Ley del Instituto de Atención y Protección a VÃctimas y Ofendidos de Delito (2005).
- 98.
Briscoe and Stappers 2012, p. 35.
- 99.
CICIG 2011, p. 5.
- 100.
CICIG 2011, p. 6.
- 101.
Impunity Watch 2010b, p. 47.
- 102.
- 103.
Alvarado 2011.
- 104.
Archila 2011.
- 105.
Fundación de AntropologÃa Forense de Guatemala 2009.
- 106.
Fundación de AntropologÃa Forense de Guatemala 2009.
References
Aldana R (2011) Repairing the past and healing the present: Gomes Lund et al. v. Brazil. Int Justice 1:55–60
Aldana-Pindell R (2002) In vindication of justiciable victim’s rights to truth and justice for state-sponsored crimes. Vanderbilt J Transnatl Law 35:1399–1500
Alvarado H (2011) Deniegan Cambio de Delito a Acusaso en Caso Dos Erres, Prensa Libre, 29 Sept 2011. www.prensalibre.com/noticias/justicia/Deniegan-cambio-delito-acusado-Erres_0_563343877.html. Accessed 12 February 2012
Alvarado H (2012) José EfraÃn RÃos Montt queda ligado a proceso por genocidio, Prensa Libre, 27 January 2012. www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Rios-Montt-queda-ligado-proceso_0_635336490.html. Accessed 12 February 2012
Amnesty International (2011) El Salvador Massacre: a 30-Year Fight for Justice. www.amnesty.org/zh-hant/node/28684. Accessed 11 February 2012
Archila O (2011) VÃctimas Piden Condena a Militares por Masacre en Aldea Dos Erres, Prensa Libre, 21 July 2011. www.prensalibre.com/noticias/justicia/masacre-justicia-ejercito_0_521348011.html. Accessed 12 February 2012
Azpuru D (2010) Political culture of democracy in Guatemala. LAPOP-Vanderbilt University, Nashville
Bathanti J (2008) Bishop Gerardi: a life devoted to social justice. www.ghrc-usa.org/AboutGuatemala/TimelineGerardiWebsite.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2012
Bird A (2012) Otto Perez Molina elected President of Guatemala days earlier a court improperly dismissed charges against him of forced disappearance and torture. www.rightsaction.org/action-content/new-guatemalan-president-article-1-annie-bird. Accessed 10 February 2012
Brett R (2009) Etnicidad y CiudadanÃa, Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Guatemala. www.pnud.org.gt/data/publicacion/Etnicidad_y_ciudadania.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2010
Briscoe I, Stappers M (2012) Breaking the wave: critical steps in the fight against crime in Guatemala, Impunity Watch. www.impunitywatch.org/upload/UserFiles/file/Breaking%20the%20wave.pdf. Accessed 9 February 2012
Center for Justice and Accountability (2011) The Guatemala Genocide case before the Spanish National Court. www.cja.org/section.php?id=83. Accessed 11 February 2012
Cerigua Weekly Briefs (1994) Military shake-up reveals power struggle, Cerigua Weekly Briefs, 21 Feb 1994. www.tulane.edu/~libweb/RESTRICTED/CERIGUA/1994_0221.txt. Accessed 10 February 2012
CICIG (2006) Acuerdo entre la Organización de Naciones Unidas y el Gobierno de Guatemala relative al establecimiento de una Comisión Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (CICIG). www.cicig.org/uploads/documents/mandato/01_cicig_acuerdo.pdf. Accessed 6 February 2012
CICIG (2011) Informe Ejecutivo Cicig: Cuatro Años de Labores. www.cicig.org/uploads/documents/2011/COM-052-20111005-DOC02.pdf. Accessed 6 February 2012
Cuéllar B (2011) El Salvador. In: Fundación para el Debido Proceso Legal (ed) Las VÃctimas y las Justicia Transicional: ¿Están Cumpliendo los Estados Latinoamericanos con los Estándares Internacionales? Fundación para el Debido Proceso Legal, Washington, pp. 127–156
Fauriol GA, Loser E (eds) (1991) Guatemala’s political puzzle. Transaction Publishers, London
Fernández GarcÃa MC (2004) Lynching in Guatemala: legacy of war and impunity. www.wcfia.harvard.edu/fellows/papers/2003-04/fernandez.pdf. Accessed 11 February 2012
Fundación de AntropologÃa Forense de Guatemala (2009) Entrevista con Aura Elena Farfán. www.fafg.org/entrevistas/EntrevistaFarfan.html. Accessed 12 February 2012
Fundación de AntropologÃa Forense de Guatemala (2012) Investigaciones Antropológico Forense Realizadas en Guatemala de 1992-2010. www.fafg.org/paginas/casos.htm. Accessed 6 February 2012
Fundación Myrna Mack (2007) Una Aproximación al Uso de la Violencia PolÃtica contra la Búsqueda de Verdad y Justicia. www.myrnamack.org.gt/index.php/analisis/159-una-aproximacion-al-uso-de-la-violencia-politica-contra-la-busqueda-de-verdad-y-justicia. Accessed 11 February 2012
Fundación Myrna Mack (2009) Una Aproximación de los Rasgos de la Violencia en Guatemala. www.myrnamack.org.gt/index.php/analisis/168-una-aproximacion-a-los-rasgos-de-la-violencia-en-guatemala. Accessed 11 February 2012
Galis Patiño M C (2011) Informe Comparativo. In: Fundación para el Debido Proceso Legal (ed) Las VÃctimas y las Justicia Transicional: ¿Están Cumpliendo los Estados Latinoamericanos con los Estándares Internacionales?, Fundación para el Debido Proceso Legal, Washington, pp. 1–34
González Leche RA (2002) Modelo de Atención a la VÃctima del Delito, Implementado en el Ministerio Público de de Guatemala, Centro América. www.ilanud.or.cr/A116.pdf. Accessed 4 October 2012
Guatemalan Commission for Historical Clarification (1997) Guatemala, Memory of Silence Tz’Inil Na’ Tab’Al: Report of the Commission for Historical Clarification Conclusions and Recommendations. www.shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/report/english/toc.html. Accessed 10 February 2012
Impunity Watch (2009) La Persistencia de la Verdad: A Diez Años del Informe de la CEH. www.impunitywatch.org/en/publication/33. Accessed 11 February 2012
Impunity Watch (2010a) Cambiar la Cultura de la Violencia por la Cultura de la Vida: Los Primeros dos Años de la Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala. www.impunitywatch.org/upload/UserFiles/file/CICIG%20Report%20(IW,%20ICTJ,%20Dutch%20Platform).pdf. Accessed 10 February 2012
Impunity Watch (2010b) Reconociendo el Pasado: DesafÃos para Combatir la Impunidad en Guatemala: Resumen y Recomendaciones. www.impunitywatch.org/upload/UserFiles/file/IW%20Guatemala%20BCR,%20Spanish.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2012
Leonardo Segura M (2011) Guatemala. In: Fundación para el Debido Proceso Legal (ed) Las VÃctimas y las Justicia Transicional: ¿Están Cumpliendo los Estados Latinoamericanos con los Estándares Internacionales?, Fundación para el Debido Proceso Legal, Washington, pp. 157–190
Oficina del Arzobispado de Guatemala (2010) Violencia en Guatemala: Estudio EstadÃstico en Cinco Departamentos. www.odhag.org.gt/pdf/Violencia%20en%20Guatemala.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2012
Padget T (2011) Sins of the past: will all of Latin America find justice for cold war atrocities Guatemala. www.globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/11/03/sins-of-the-cold-war-when-will-all-of-latin-america-find-justice/. Accessed 11 February 2012
Paredes E (2012) President Pérez Molina Ignaura plan de Recuperación Vial, Prensa Libre, 12 January 2012. www.prensalibre.com/escuintla/Presidente-Otto_Perez-inaugura-carreteras_3_632366758.html. Accessed 11 February 2012
Paz y, Paz Bailey C (2006) Guatemala: gender and reparations for human rights violations. In: Rubio-MarÃn R (ed) What happened to the women? Gender and reparations for human rights violations. Social Science Research Council, New York, pp. 92–135
Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Guatemala (2007) Informe EstadÃstico de la Violencia en Guatemala. www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/national_activities/informe_estadistico_violencia_guatemala.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2012
Rights Action (2011a) Allegation letter from rights action, Guatemala Human Rights Commission, and Jennifer Harbury to Juan Méndez U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture, 11 July 2011. www.rightsaction.org/articles/Letter_to_United_Nations_082411.html. Accessed 10 February 2012
Rights Action (2011b) Juez Español Santiago Pedraz, Investigará CrÃmenes de Género www.rightsaction.org/articles/rape_trials_in_Spain_072911.html. Accessed 11 February 2012
SecretarÃa de la Paz de la República de Guatemala (1996) Acuerdos de Paz en Guatemala. www.arias.or.cr/publicaciones/FA05035107.pdf. Accessed 10 February 2012
Tribunal Supremo Electoral de Guatemala (2012) Magistrados el TSE Oficializaron Resultados de la Segunda Elección Presidencial, 17 November 2012. www.elecciones2011.tse.org.gt/noticias.php?num=1469. Accessed 10 February 2012
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2010) Homicide statistics. www.elecciones2011.tse.org.gt/noticias.php?num=1469. Accessed 10 February 2012
World Bank (2009) Guatemala Poverty Assessment: good performance at low levels. www.wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2009/07/08/000333038_20090708235221/Rendered/PDF/439200ESW0GT0P1IC0Disclosed07171091.pdf. Accessed 11 February 2012
Zunino M (2011) Releasing transitional justice from the technical asylum: judicial reform in Guatemala seen through Technē and Phronēsis. Int J Transitional Justice 5:99–118
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 T.M.C. ASSER PRESS, The Hague, The Netherlands, and the authors
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Aldana, R. (2013). A Reflection on Transitional Justice in Guatemala 15 Years After the Peace Agreements. In: Bonacker, T., Safferling, C. (eds) Victims of International Crimes: An Interdisciplinary Discourse. T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague, The Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-912-2_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-912-2_18
Published:
Publisher Name: T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague, The Netherlands
Print ISBN: 978-90-6704-911-5
Online ISBN: 978-90-6704-912-2
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawLaw and Criminology (R0)