national genocide case brought by the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) and the Centre for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH) is beginning its ninth year in the Guatemalan legal system. Los / as involved / as in the case and various groups and national and international individuals are still waiting for the fulfillment of justice. On February 25 - Day of the Victims of Armed Conflict - had to make another important step in the process as court ordered issued by the Constitutional Court ended the period for which the Minister of Defense, Abraham Valenzuela, deliver the four military plans (1) the Attorney General so that later can be used as evidence and possibly evident in the case of genocide. But this breakthrough was frustrated by what human rights organizations call it a failure of due process and "a mockery of the families of the victims seeking justice" (2).
ACOGUATE has accompanied the AJR and CALDH throughout this process, since 2000, and continues to accompany and monitor their participation in genocide.
February 25, at 12 pm, there were about 5000 people from various departments gathered in Central Park as part of the event organized by the government of Alvaro Colom and the National Reparations Programme to commemorate the tenth anniversary Publication reports of the Commission for Historical Clarification (3). In his speech, President Colom announced that half an hour ago and the four military plans had been delivered by the Minister of Defence to the second judge of first instance, Jorge Mario Valenzuela (4).
However, about an hour earlier, at a hearing (5) between the judge Valenzuela, Minister of Defense, the Public Ministry and CALDH / AJR, Defence Minister made two folders on the desk of the judge indicating that they were Firmness plans 83 and Victoria 82. Asked about the two other plans that had to be delivered, the Defence Minister said that the whereabouts of these plans and did not know of its existence (6). In the end, the judge did not receive any of the plans presented, indicating that the court was not a safe place for storage. Defense Minister brought back ending the hearing.
Several human rights activists critical of what happened by saying that:
Carmen Aida Ibarra of the Myrna Mack Foundation: "The authorities of the Ministry of Defence acted incurred cynicism and contempt, in not giving the four schemes military. The judge (Jorge Mario Valenzuela) acted in disregard of their duties by failing to require delivery of these documents to the Army, he had the power to order them and store them in a sure. "
Iduvina Security Hernandez Democracy - SEDEM: " By not having delivered the four military plans, the Minister of Defense (Abraham Valenzuela) committed obstruction of justice, if he refuses to deliver these documents is because it is covering up for those responsible for genocide during the massacres in the civil war. "
Juan Francisco Soto and Mario Minera, CALDH: " There anomalies in this proceeding, because we were not notified, and it was a mockery of the family victims seeking justice. " added that by failing to deliver the plans shows that (Department of) Defence insists on protecting Rios Montt and allied military (7).
Tomorrow, February 27 at 10am is calling on civil society and the press "to request the Attorney General's investigation of the Minister of Defence for the crime of disobedience, concealment of documents and cover himself by not comply with the decision of the CC and the application of MP to deliver the four military plans " (8).
For ACOGUATE
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1) Sofia Plan, Operation Ixil, Firmness 83, Victoria 82
2) http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2009/febrero/26/297982.html
3) It should be noted that these reports be liable to the Guatemalan government of committing genocide.
4) The second judge of first instance, Jorge Mario Valenzuela, is the same judge that the March 12, 2007 resolved that the Ministry of Defence exhibit the four military plans.
5) CALDH / AJR were not officially notified of this hearing and that anyway the official procedure was that the defense minister had to deliver the documents to the Ministry of Defence at the headquarters of the same.
6) http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2009/febrero/26/298241.html
7) http://www.lahora.com.gt/notas.php?key=44875&fch=2009-02 -25 Http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2009/febrero/26/297982.html
http://www.sigloxxi.com/noticias/26807
http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es / 20090226/pais/92550 /
8) Press release issued by the Coordination Genocide Never Again
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