Luz Leticia Hernández Agustín: More Than 40 Years of Searching, Truth, and Justice (Part 2)

This is the second part in a series of informational texts published by NISGUA, translated from materials produced by FAMDEGUA (Families of the Detained Disappeared of Guatemala) and Verdad y Justicia, about the forced disappearance of Luz Leticia Hernández Agustín.

Read Part 1 here.

LUZ LETICIA HERNÁNDEZ AGUSTÍN CASE: MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF SEARCHING, TRUTH AND JUSTICE

Facts

Luz Leticia was detained and disappeared in November of 1982, when she was 25 years old and studied economics at the University of San Carlos (USAC).

Responsible Party Indicated

The police operation was attributed to Juan Francisco Cifuentes Cano, then head of the BROE (Batallón de Reacciones Especiales de Operaciones, Special Operations Reaction Battalion), or Fifth Corps, of the National Police.

The Search

Her parents, Jorge Hernández and Valentina Agustín, joined GAM (Grupo de Apoyo Mútuo, Mutual Aid Group) and traveled to morgues, hospitals, courts, and state institutions looking for Luz Leticia; her sisters Marta and Mirtala have sustained the struggle until today.

Judicial Process

The court case only began to move in January 2023. In the 5th Criminal Court of First Instance, the process “Luz Leticia and Others” was opened, where Cifuentes Cano is the only one accused; in the first phase he was linked to proceedings for forced disappearance and crimes against the duties of humanity.

Delays

The intermediate phase was extended until December 2025 because of changes of judges, legal actions of the defense, and suspensions; in addition, the family has denounced up to seven changes of judges and stagnation because of appeals against the impartiality of Judge Judith Secaida.