Human rights advocates applaud massacre sentences in Guatemala

Four Convicted Former soldiers are in the 1982 Dos Erres massacre, one of the ugliest episodes of repression DURING Guatemala's 36-year civil war, DURING About 200.000 people Which Were Killed or Disappeared.

By Ken Ellingwood, Los Angeles Times
August 3, 2011, 3:55 pm

International Human Rights Advocates Praised to court Wednesday for sentencing in Guatemala Former four soldiers to More Than 6.000 years in prison for Each to 1982 massacre of 201 Civilians During The nation's civil war.

The massacre in the northern village of Dos Erres one of the ugliest WAS episodes of repression DURING Guatemala's 36-year civil war, an Estimated DURING 200.000 Which Were Killed or Disappeared people, Mostly in the countryside.

The trial, Which Began last week, Watched Closely by WAS rights monitors.

The sentences imposer Against Former Lt. Tuesday Antonio Carlos Carias and special forces soldiers Manuel Pop Sun, Reyes Martinez and Daniel Collin Gualip include 30 years for each 'victim And another 30 years for crimes against humanity.Howeve, the maximum Anyone Can Be Imprisoned in Guatemala is 50 years.

"This sentence sends a message landmark Guatemala That Might finally be moving closer to Delivering justice to the Hundreds of Thousands of Victims of serious human rights Violations During The civil war," said Sebastian Elgueta, Central America researcher at Amnesty International, in a statement from Washington.

But higher-ranking Elgueta said officers Must Also Be Brought to Justice.

As Many as 250 men, women and children slain Were Tortured and a three-day DURING operation in Dos Erres by 20 Members of About an elite army squad Known as the Kaibiles. Women and girls raped Were; Some Victims Were Beaten to Death with sledgehammers. Many Were tossed Into a well.

Some Witnesses said the operation WAS Aimed at Covering Up the rape of a woman in the village by a military officer, Elgueta said.

The Defendants Maintained Their innocence and, After the ruling, Their Relatives vowed to appeal.

Other Former Members of the squad later Who Moved to the United States face charges Also.

Jorge Sosa, a martial arts instructor from Moreno Valley, WAS Arrested This Year in early Canada.He is charged in a 2010 federal indictment grand jury in Orange County with HAVING taken part as the army unit and Kill Civilians interrogate.

Pimentel Pedro Rios, Santa Ana maintenance worker Who Allegedly Also Belong To the patrol, WAS Deported to Guatemala last month and turned over to Authorities.