Former Dictator Ríos Montt to Face Sentence
Today the verdict in the historic genocide trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt will be announced at 6:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. Guatemala time). The announcement can be viewed live here. A conviction would be an enormous victory for justice and the rule of law in Guatemala, according to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).
Please find above a short video statement by WOLA Program Director Geoff Thale on the meaning and implications of the Ríos Montt trial. Mr. Thale has followed justice issues in Guatemala for more than two decades, and he was present for the opening arguments of the trial. WOLA Senior Fellow Jo-Marie Burt—an expert on transitional justice in Latin America—is present at the trial today. Both Mr. Thale and Dr. Burt are available for comment. Please feel free to use this video, as well as excerpts of it.
Contact:
In Washington, DC
Geoff Thale
Program Director
+1 (202) 797-2171
press@wola.org
In Guatemala
Jo-Marie Burt
Senior Fellow
+502 3273-1905
jmburt.wola@gmail.com
