Court Allows Former Guatemalan Dictator Accused of Genocide to Run for President

Interview with Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, conducted by Denise Manzari

On July 14, former General Efrain Rios-Montt, considered to be one of the most brutal dictators in Guatemalan history, was granted the right to run for the Guatemalan presidency, in a 4-3 vote by the nation's highest court.

Rios Montt came to power through a coup d'etat in March of 1982 and was deposed by a countercoup 18 months later. Rios-Montt has been accused by human rights groups and United Nations agencies of waging genocide against tens of thousands of Mayan civilians.

Critics charge that Rios-Montt, educated in counter-insurgency tactics at the U.S. funded "School of the Americas," ordered the destruction of some 440 Mayan villages as part of a "scorched earth" campaign to combat leftist insurgents with "rifles and beans," a combination of military force and economic reforms.

According to the Center for Human Rights Law Action, an estimated 60,000 individuals reportedly "disappeared" or died during this military campaign, while untold thousands were subjected to torture. Since then, Montt has tried to run for the Guatemalan presidency twice, despite a 1985 constitutional provision barring former dictators from doing so.

Larry Birns is director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs or COHA. He spoke with Between The Lines' Denise Manzari about Rios-Montt's murderous reign and his manipulation of the judicial system in securing the court decision to run for the presidency.

For more information contact The Council on Hemispheric Affairs at (202) 216-9261 or visit their website at www.coha.org

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