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NEWS & LETTERS,
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2003
Rios Montt's 'coup'
Guatemala--The ruling Frente Republicano Guatemalteco (FRG)
attempted what may have been a coup in support of a presidential bid by their
leader Efrain Rios Montt, who was responsible for the genocide of thousands,
perhaps tens of thousands of indigenous Guatemalans in the 1980s. The Constitutional Court authorized Rios Montt to be a
candidate on July 14, but the Supreme Court temporarily suspended that ruling.
The 1985 Constitution clearly banned from the presidency any coup leader or
anyone who had become head of state as a result of a coup. The second
category includes Rios Montt. (The Constitutional Court reaffirmed its decision
to allow Rios Montt to run on July 31.--Ed.) Busloads of his followers, including paramilitaries armed
with machetes and guns, then entered the capital city and attacked groups of
people, journalists, and critics of the general. They have threatened
media offices and human rights organizations. Hector Ramirez, a journalist, died
of a heart attack while escaping a mob, and other journalists narrowly escaped
lynching. I am safe and staying away from the capital right now, but
many of my friends here will NOT be safe if Rios Montt becomes president. The
actions of the international community may be the reason we are safe right now
and will likely be safe until elections in November. Please call your Congressperson; the Capital switchboard is
(202) 224-3121. Ask for their foreign affairs legislative assistant, explain to
them what is happening and ask if they will support or introduce legislation
that: 1) condemns the actions of the FRG, 2) commits to sending election
monitors to Guatemala immediately, and 3) calls for the United States to suspend
foreign aid to the Guatemalan government. --Correspondent |
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