Mayan Genocide In Guatemala

The Mayan Genocide was a result of a civil war concerning communism and democracy between corrupt leaders and the people of Guatemala. The Guatemalan army carried out the genocide under the self-proclaimed name “killing machines”. According to the article Genocide in Guatemala “the army destroyed 626 villages, killed or “disappeared” more than 200,000 people and displaced an additional 1.5 million, while more than 150,000 were driven to seek refuge in Mexico”. The army murdered and tortured without regard to age or gender, men, women, and children all alike. In an attempt to end the conflict Peace Accords were signed, in spite of the fact that there was little change. Directly following the Mayan genocides, Guatemala faced physical and emotional
The first to be convicted were three men guilty of executing three people on March 13, 1982 during the Massacre of Rio Negro (“Guatemala hands down first sentences for civil war crimes”). The trial took place in a court in the central province of Baja Verapaz, which allowed for controversy to arise (“Guatemala hands down”). The people wanted justice and agreed with Aura Elena’s statement "We are not seeking vengeance, but rather that this massacre not go unpunished ... that is why we trust justice will be done," (“Guatemala hands down”). The trial resulted in a sentence to death by lethal injection for all three men (“Guatemala hands down”). Guilty military personnel continued to be convicted over the following
While the 200,000 people killed during the 36 years of civil war is a large number the average violent deaths per year has increased to 54,223 in the years between 2000 and 2010 (Birns). The violence is an impact of the civil war leaving behind an inadequate judicial system and a corrupt police force without resolution by Peace Accords. The people now more than ever take matters into their own hands considering the court system leaves “ninety-seven percent of cases unsolved” (Birns). It is even common for many people who do not receive adequate “justice to form lynch mobs or hire assassins”