Compared to how many civilians that died in Reagan's holy wars in Central America in the '80s? . . . hundreds of thousands . . .
I heard it on the radio, Ish. That's the kind of "URL" you like, right? If you prefer a more convention "URL", there's this: nytimes.com
On the night Ronald Reagan was elected President, fireworks filled the skies of this capital city of 1.3 million people and marimba bands played in front of the United States Embassy.
The nation's leaders expected the Reagan Administration to resume military assistance suspended since 1977 and otherwise deal more sympathetically with them.
United States law prohibits arms aid to countries guilt of continuous violations of human rights. In Guatemala, there have been more than 5,000 killings of people in opinion-making positions since 1978, decimating university faculties, moderate and left-of-center political organizations and other groups. There have been no arrests or investigations.
Officially, Guatemalan leaders say they want nothing more than to be left alone by the United States. More telling of their mood, however, were the welcome-back parties thrown for Lieut. Col. David W. Patton of the United States Army, a military aide from before the Carter Administration who has just returned for a new assignment.
Then, perhaps related, perhaps not, there's this: search.nytimes.com
The language was harsh, the country's emotional, cathartic response even stronger. A nine-volume report issued by a truth commission on Thursday that blamed the Guatemalan military for the deaths of nearly 200,000 people in their 36-year civil war surprised nearly everyone with the bluntness and severity of its judgments and recommendations. . . .
Especially important was the commission's
conclusion that from 1981 to 1983, "agents of
the state committed acts of genocide against
groups of the Mayan people." |
