Sir, - Bishop Juan Gerardi's murder in Guatemala last week is just one in a long list of crimes against humanity endured over the past 36 years by this tragic country. From 1954 to 1996 the country suffered under a succession of the most vicious military dictatorships in Latin America. The conflict intensified in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the "scorched earth" policies of Generals Lucas Garcia and Rios Montt. This genocidal campaign, directed mainly against the poor indigenous farmers of the highlands, devastated whole communities and left a nation traumatised. An orgy of torture and massacre was unleashed which resulted in over 150,000 dead, 50,000 "disappeared", 1,000,000 refugees, 45,000 widows and hundreds of thousands of orphans.
The victims are the forgotten element of Guatemala's bloody civil war. They have been sidelined by their own government and by the international community. The UN Truth Commission set up in 1994 to report on human rights violations during the conflict agreed with the army not to report on specific events or to name those responsible, thereby allowing war criminals to go unpunished. The peace accords signed in December 1996 between the government and the guerilla movement granted a general amnesty to all participants in the conflict. Since the UN attributed the majority of atrocities to government forces, the amnesty is heavily weighted in favour of the army. The accords made no apology and gave no hope of justice for over 200,000 people brutally massacred and millions of shattered lives.
Bishop Gerardi sought justice for the victims and their families. He had compiled a report presenting documented evidence of atrocities, planned and mandated from the highest level. I believe this is the reason for his murder. His death is a worrying signal that violence and impunity still cast a dark shadow over Guatemala.
I hope that Juan Gerardi's sacrifice will not be forgotten and that the media will continue to report developments in Guatemala. As a nation we know only too well the cost of violence. Therefore I appeal for solidarity with the Guatemalan people in their struggle for peace and justice. - Yours, etc., Barbara Hughes
Volunteer Missionary Movement, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.