Proposed Bill Could Grant Amnesty for War Crimes in Guatemala

By Ashish Valentine
Carmen Cumes, left, and Rosalina Tuyuc, of the National Coordination of Guatemalan Widows (CONAVIGUA), sit surrounded by portraits of people who are disappeared as a form of protest outside Congress in Guatemala City, Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Lawmakers postponed the approval of a controversial bill that could give amnesty to the perpetrators of war crimes dating back to the country’s bloody civil war.
Carmen Cumes, left, and Rosalina Tuyuc, of the National Coordination of Guatemalan Widows (CONAVIGUA), sit surrounded by portraits of people who are disappeared as a form of protest outside Congress in Guatemala City, Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Lawmakers postponed the approval of a controversial bill that could give amnesty to the perpetrators of war crimes dating back to the country's bloody civil war. Moises Castillo / AP Photo
Carmen Cumes, left, and Rosalina Tuyuc, of the National Coordination of Guatemalan Widows (CONAVIGUA), sit surrounded by portraits of people who are disappeared as a form of protest outside Congress in Guatemala City, Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Lawmakers postponed the approval of a controversial bill that could give amnesty to the perpetrators of war crimes dating back to the country’s bloody civil war.
Carmen Cumes, left, and Rosalina Tuyuc, of the National Coordination of Guatemalan Widows (CONAVIGUA), sit surrounded by portraits of people who are disappeared as a form of protest outside Congress in Guatemala City, Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Lawmakers postponed the approval of a controversial bill that could give amnesty to the perpetrators of war crimes dating back to the country's bloody civil war. Moises Castillo / AP Photo

Proposed Bill Could Grant Amnesty for War Crimes in Guatemala

By Ashish Valentine
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A proposed bill in Guatemala’s Congress would grant amnesty to dozens of military officials who were previously convicted of committing war crimes during the country’s 36-year civil war.  Over 200,000 people were killed or disappeared during the conflict. The bill’s proposal sparked demonstrations and the legislature was forced to suspend its vote on March 13. President Jimmy Morales has ordered the international body investigating war crimes and corruption abuses, the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, or CICIG, to exit the country. After backlash, Morales reversed his order to allow most CICIG members back in mid-February. CICIG has recommended Morales for prosecution on corruption charges. The Guatemalan government has issued criminal charges against prominent opposition figures running against Morales in the upcoming Presidential elections in June. Notre Dame presidential fellow and professor emeritus of Law Doug Cassel has spent much of his career representing the victims of human rights violations in Central and Latin America. He joins us to talk about the links between war crimes of the past and the corruption of today in Guatemala.