Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
justice. So far the heftiest penalty to be handed down was to ex-Military Commissioner
Lucas Tecún, who was sentenced to 7710 years in prison.
In March 2012, in a move that shocked many hardened cynics, a Guatemalan judge re-
moved the final obstacle barring former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt from facing trial on
charges of genocide. It will be the first time that a former Latin American head of state
has faced such charges in a national court.
Grass Roots Movement
In the face of official indifference and/or inability to deal with the country's myriad prob-
lems, many community-based organizations and NGOs are moving in to fill the void.
Large segments of the Guatemalan population are becoming active in volunteer work, fo-
cusing on everything from neighborhood-watch-type programs in areas unpatrolled by
police to larger efforts focusing on food security and housing for the poor. This commu-
nity spirit is also evident after natural disasters hit the country, as citizens band together to
deliver aid to affected families.
