Many years ago, when I was a graduate student, I attended a forum with Jennifer Harbury as the key speaker. She introduced us to the events she experienced in Guatemala -- her Guatemalan husband was 'disappeared', many others were killed or disappeared, and our government was complicit.
I must confess that I at first expressed a healthy skepticism about her story, though I never discounted it. Harbury was clearly intent on calling out the US embassy for failing to help her find her husband. How the heck could I know what was true?
I was a babe walking into a minefield.
Later her story was told on 60 minutes.
Jennifer Harbury was proved correct. Her husband was killed, the US was complicit, she was lied to, we were lied to, and the massacres in Guatemala exist as another stain on US foreign policy. I have a memory of the ultimate right-wing foreign policy troll Elliott Abrams defending this shit in there somewhere but I would rather disremember it until he pretends again like he is some kind of authority.
Recently, the President of Guatemala, who was also the architect of many of the disappearances, is being charged with corruption.
I am afraid for Guatemala.
The terror lies before the fold.
Otto Molina was one of the worst of the worst. A graduate of the School of Americas, he is likely the architect of most of the disappearances in Guatemala and perhaps the deaths of tens or even hundreds of thousands of people.
Now there are calls for justice -- while he is a sitting President.
The forces who put Otto in power once had the backing of our government. Didn't this just happen again in Honduras? We know how this could end.
We must make sure that we support the people of Guatemala. We must support human rights and peace.