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 largest case of forced disappearance in Latin America
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
AJR/CALDH: “First trial for genocide still set to begin March 19”
FIRST TRIAL FOR GENOCIDE STILL SET TO BEGIN MARCH 19 APPEALS COURT'S RULING DOES NOT SUSPEND DEBATE Today, March 11th, we were notified of a constitutional injunction ("amparo") filed by the military officials José [...]
AJR/CALDH: “Primer juicio por genocidio continúa para el 19 de marzo”
PRIMER JUICIO POR GENOCIDIO CONTINÚA PARA EL 19 DE MARZORESOLUCIÓN DE LA SALA CUARTA NO SUSPENDE DEBATEHoy lunes 11 de marzo fuimos notificados de una acción constitucional de Amparo interpuesta por los militares José Efraín [...]
Communities in San Rafael Las Flores say NO to Tahoe Resources’ Escobal Project
Last weekend, 93% of the population of Los Planes rejected Tahoe Resources' proposed Escobal project, voting NO to chemical mineral mining on their territory. This good-faith referendum, organized by local authorities, is the second [...]
La Puya Encampment Celebrates First Anniversary of Peaceful Resistance
On Sunday, March 3, 2013 the communities of La Puya celebrated the one-year anniversary of non-violent resistance to the Tambor (Progreso VII) mining project, owned by US company Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA). During [...]
CPO Denounces Delay in Ruling on Guatemala’s Mining Law | Statement by the Western People’s Council
In July 2012 Guatemala’s Constitutional Court heard a landmark case challenging the constitutionality of the 1997 Mining Law. The legal action, presented by the Western Peoples’ Council (CPO), contends that the current law is [...]
NISGUA in the Media
Check out these recent interviews by current and former NISGUA staff in local media outlets! NISGUA's Guatemala Accompaniment Project (GAP) Director Bridget Brehen speaks about developments in the genocide case on KPFA's La Raza [...]