Military Zone 21 – CREOMPAZ
On January 6, 2016, 14 former military officers were arrested on charges of forced disappearance and crimes against humanity based on evidence uncovered at the CREOMPAZ military center in Cobán, Alta Verapaz. Now a United Nations peacekeeper training base, CREOMPAZ (Regional Training Command for Peacekeeping Operations) operated as a detention and clandestine execution center during Guatemala’s Internal Armed Conflict, when it was known as Military Zone 21. Between 2012 and 2015, the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) carried out 14 exhumations at CREOMPAZ and found 558 human remains in fourteen graves, representing the largest known case of forced disappearance in Latin America.
Spanning crimes committed from 1981 – 1988, the Military Zone 21 (CREOMPAZ) case sets the record in Guatemala, not only for the number of disappeared victims, but also for the time span over which the crimes were committed. Among the high-ranking individuals indicted is Manuel Benedicto Lucas García, who served as former Army Chief of Staff during his brother’s 1978-1982 military dictatorship, and who is currently imprisoned for his role in crimes against humanity committed against the Molina Theissen family. The trial is an important step in the legal trajectory seeking justice for crimes against humanity and represents more than 30 years of hard work by survivor organizations.
In-depth NISGUA reports
The same people who carried out genocide in Nebaj were the same who carried out genocide in Plan de Sánchez and throughout Baja and Alta Verapaz. It’s important that the high- ranking military command are tried for these crimes.
Latest from our blog
Memory, truth, justice: Reclaiming historical memory as a path to liberation
Para leer en español Dear friends, family, and comrades, It brings me a lot of joy to be writing y’all again this fine Leo season! These past few months have been full of chaotic [...]
POLITICAL STATEMENT OF THE MAYA MAM SAQTX’OTX COUNCIL OF HUEHUETENANGO
As the original people of the territory K’AIB’IL B’ALAM, we reject and condemn the unacceptable attitude of the attorney María Consuelo Porras, representative of the Attorney General’s Office (MP) for abusively ordering the dismissal [...]
Comunicado: Organizaciones entregan petición exigiendo un fin de las expulsiones bajo Título 42 y protecciones para las y los migrantes Indígenas
28 de julio de 2021 Contacto: Claire Bransky, claire@nisgua.org Hoy, una amplia coalición de organizaciones centroamericanas y norteamericanas entregaron una petición con más de 1300 firmas al Departamento de Estado, el Departamento de Seguridad [...]
Press release: Organizations deliver petition calling for an end to Title 42 expulsions and protections for Indigenous migrants
July 28, 2021 Contact: Claire Bransky, claire[at]nisgua.org Today, a broad coalition of Central and North American organizations delivered a petition with more than 1300 signatures to the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, [...]
July Solidarity Update 2021 / Boletín Solidario de Julio
On July 22nd, Rubén’s life partner, feminist leader Alba Cecilia, launched Rubén’s second book, ¿Cómo olvidar a las memorias olvidadas? or How to forget the forgotten memories? You can watch the livestream of the launch in Spanish at www.facebok.com/MadreSelvaColectivo. [...]
PRONUNCIAMIENTO POLITICO DEL CONSEJO MAYA MAM SAQTX’OTX’ HUEHUETENANGO
Huehuetenango 25 de Julio del 2021 Los pueblos originarios de este territorio K’AIB’IL B’ALAM, Rechazamos y condenamos rotundamente la actitud inaceptable de la Lic. [...]