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Guatemala arrests 13 former military officers for charges against humanity

Xinhua, January 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

Guatemalan police on Wednesday arrested 13 former military officers for charges against humanity and the forced disappearances of hundreds of people between 1981 and 1988.

The arrestees included General Manuel Benedicto Lucas Garcia, brother of former president Fernando Romeo Lucas Garcia (1978-1982), who used to serve as the chief of staff of the Guatemalan army and is believed to have been behind the country's paramilitary groups.

At a press conference held Wednesday, Guatemala's Attorney General Thelma Aldana said the arrests were made based on a government investigation that pointed to the involvement of those arrested.

The government investigation showed that excavations had revealed a mass grave containing 558 bodies, including women and children, near former military base 21 in the northern province of Alta Verapaz. The bones showed signs of torture and of ligature marks.

The investigation also identified 97 of the bodies and gathered statements from 350 witnesses, which all pointed to the involvement of those arrested.

Furthermore, Aldana is investigating Edgar Ovalle Maldonado, a current deputy and former commander of military base 21. Ovalle Maldonado, who is set to take his seat in the parliament on Jan. 14, has denied any participation in forced disappearances and said he would clear his name in court.

According to the United Nations, the Guatemalan army was responsible for numerous deaths among the population from 1961-1996, causing more than 200,000 deaths and 50,000 more missing. Endit