VIDEO: A Watershed Moment as Guatemala Jails Its President After He Resigns
Otto Perez Molina has been jailed on charges of corruption just hours after bowing to massive popular protest and resigning as Guatemala’s president. “Democracy Now!” speaks to Nobel Peace Prize-winning Maya activist Rigoberta Menchu, whose lawsuits helped bring former U.S.-backed dictator Efrain Rios Montt to trial for his role in the killings of more than 1,700 Ixil Mayas.
Menchu’s father, mother and two brothers were killed during the Guatemalan genocide. She later won the Nobel Peace Prize for her campaign on behalf of Guatemala’s indigenous population. Menchu is now calling for Perez Molina to be tried for commanding troops in the El Quiche region in the 1980s, the site of some of the worst massacres by the military.
Also, investigative journalist Allan Nairn, who has reported on Guatemala since the 1980s, looks at how Molina could also be charged for his role in the mass killings of indigenous Guatemalans in the 1980s.
— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
Wait, before you go…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.