The Military Diary Case European Support Network (Red Europea de Solidaridad Caso Diario Militar) issued a press release, yesterday, in response to the news that the presiding judge in the Death Squad Diary case (Caso Diario Militar) has stated that there is a case to answer for the defendants. This is, obviously, good news for the search for justice in Guatemala which is coming under increasing strain.

At the High Risk Court in Guatemala City, presiding judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez determined that there was sufficient evidence that Retired General Víctor Augusto Vásquez Echeverría and Senior Intelligence Officer Gustavo Adolfo Oliva Blanco, who as senior military and police officers integrally involved as both intellectual authors and in the practical implementation of the abduction, torture, forced disappearance and / or murder of 183 purported opponents to the military dictatorship in Guatemala, that the two should stand trial – along with 9 other senior military and police – in the formal trials now set to commence on 12 January 2022.

Known as The Military Diary Case, after the unique military intelligence document recovered which lists the names, political orientation, political activities and, the ultimate fate (disappearance or assassination) of these Guatemalan civilians, pre-trial hearings have now been completed for 11 high ranking military and police officers who have enjoyed impunity, and the benefit of economic and political power, over the course of the past 40 years. The presiding judge overwhelmingly decided, based on the evidence presented to the court, that each of the 11 senior officials should have their cases go forward to full trial.

The full press release is available to download and read, above, which includes links to the sisters of Carlos Ernesto Cuevas (Military Diary entry no. 132). Ana Lucía Cuevas made the remarkable film, The Echo of the Pain of the Many (El Eco del Dolor de Mucha Gente), telling the story of the search for the truth as to what happened to her brother. The film was featured here ‘El Eco del Dolor de Mucha Gente (The Echo of Pain of the Many)’ and you can visit the dedicated film website here El Eco del Dolor de Mucha Gente. It is a very powerful and moving film and is available to watch in both Spanish and English.

The Military Diary Case European Support Network (Red Europea de Solidaridad Caso Diario Militar) is a network of residents of Europe standing in solidarity with the victims and relatives of the #DiarioMilitar case, an emblematic case of forced disappearance by the State forces of Guatemala between 1983 and 1985. They demand truth, justice and to know where they are (Exigimos Verdad Justicia y saber Dónde Están).

You can follow the Network’s web page, which will include updates, here, Red Europea de Solidaridad Caso Diario Militar.

Categories: Corruption, Genocide, Guatemala, Human Rights, Impunity, Indigenous peoples, Justice, Legal, Lobbying, Military, Solidarity in Action, Solidarity in Action/Guatemala, Urgent Actions, Video, Violence

Tags: Ana Lucía Cuevas, Death Squad Diary, Diario Militar, l Eco del Dolor de Mucha Gente, The Echo of the Pain of the Many