On Friday, May 10, a Guatemalan trial court delivered the verdict in the historic genocide trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, finding the former de facto head of state guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. The conviction is an enormous victory for justice and the rule of law in Guatemala, according to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).
In a short video commentary recorded in anticipation of the verdict, WOLA Program Director Geoff Thale discusses 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—was present at the trial. Both Mr. Thale and Jo-Marie Burt are available for comment. Please feel free to use this video, as well as excerpts of it.
