Complete Thesis_double spaced abstract.pdf

individuals on the lists. The death squads targeted the national University of San Carlos
throughout the 1960s, killing student leaders and professors alleged to have communist ties. The
death squads carried out several high profile kidnappings, tortures and executions; Rogelia Cruz
Martinez, Miss Guatemala in 1968, and handicapped Congressman Adolfo Mijangos in 1971
were two of the victims. However, the largest numbers of victims came from the rural areas in
Guatemala, “an estimated 8,000 [peasants] from 1966 to 1970” were killed by the death squads
(Jonas, 1991, 63). Colonel Arana, soon to be president Arana, was the commanding officer at the
base in Zacapa led the effort to eradicate any alleged communists; any members of affiliated
organizations along with the alleged supporters or sympathizers of the left, labor, or peasant
organizations were targeted in the campaigns of terror.
State sponsored violence continued and intensified during the 1960s and early 1970s.
The type and targets of violence during this period were varied; a combination of high profile
political targets and unarmed and unaffiliated peasants. Furthermore, the attacks were varied in
their outcome. Most of the attacks resulted in death (47.92%), others were tortured (8.05%),
physically attacked (10.56%), arbitrarily and indefinitely detained (9.69), forcibly disappeared
(7.43), and still others were threatened and intimidated (8.81%). 28
28 REMHI, 289-290. The number of rapes for the period is 152, but this number is thought to be
underreported, the number of forcibly disappeared is a separate statistic from those killed. Many of the
forcibly disappeared were never found and no account exists to explain their fate.
159
Finally, the perpetrators of the
attacks varied; although the state was by far the usual perpetrator. At times the responsible
parties were the military, paramilitary groups or death squads, and guerrilla groups. The
Recovery of Historical Memory Project (REMHI) conducted by the Archdiocese of Guatemala
estimated the government was responsible for 89.65% of all incidents (Army 62.9% and Army
with paramilitary 20.22%), guerrilla or rebel groups were responsible for 4.81% of all incidents,
and paramilitary groups acting alone were responsible for 6.53% of all incidents.