Of course, win or lose, the case could still be a victory for the government if it gives voice to Mr. Ríos Montt’s Mayan victims. So far, the prosecution has gone to great lengths to do just that. The prosecution opened the proceedings with testimonials from indigenous people, provided interpreters so they could speak in their native language (which, as one witness explained to me, is “so much easier because I know the words”) and is listening aghast to the unimaginable horrors they tell. Giving each individual the chance to speak in his or her own words, to be heard and affirmed, is a long overdue acknowledgment that Mayan lives demand protection. The witnesses included a man testifying about how the Guatemalan Army under Mr. Ríos Montt killed his wife and two children, slashing his 5-year-old son’s face with a machete and smashing his toddler’s head. Another described how his pregnant sister was tied to a stake and burned alive, along with her child and six additional children. One witness, Nicolas Brito, told of seeing soldiers cut out and stack victims’ hearts on a table.Get the Story:
Anita Isaacs: On the Brink of Justice in Guatemala (The New York Times 3/29) Related Stories:
Supporters of ex-dictator deny Mayan genocide in Guatemala (3/26)
Survivor of attack on Mayan village testifies at genocide trial (3/20)
Former dictator on trial for genocide of Mayans in Guatemala (3/19)
Ex-dictator faces trial for genocide of Mayans in Guatemala (01/29)
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