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Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores

December 20, 2023

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mejía and the second or maternal family name is Víctores.

Brigadier General Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores (9 December 1930 – 1 February 2016)[1][2] was a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as the Head of Government from August 1983 to January 1986. A member of the military, he was head of state during the apex of repression and death squad activity in the Central American nation.[3] When he was minister of defense, he rallied a coup against President Ríos Montt, which he justified by declaring that religious fanatics were abusing the government. He allowed for a return to democracy, with elections for a constituent assembly being held in 1984, followed by general elections in 1985.

Brigadier General
Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores
27th Head of State of Guatemala
In office
8 August 1983 – 14 January 1986
DeputyRodolfo Lobos Zamora
Preceded byEfraín Ríos Montt
Succeeded byVinicio Cerezo
Personal details
Born(1930-12-09)9 December 1930
Guatemala City
Died1 February 2016(2016-02-01) (aged 85)
Guatemala City
SpouseAura Rosario Rosal López

Mejía Víctores regime edit

Return to democratic appearances edit

Ríos Montt was deposed on 8 August 1983 by his own Minister of Defense, General Mejía Víctores. Mejía Víctores became then de facto president and justified the coup by saying that "religious fanatics" were abusing their positions in the government and also because of "official corruption." Ríos Montt remained in politics, founding the Guatemalan Republican Front party in 1989. Elected to Congress he was elected President of Congress in 1995 and 2000.[4] Due to international pressure, as well as pressure from other Latin American nations, General Mejía Víctores allowed a gradual return to democracy in Guatemala. On 1 July 1984, an election was held for representatives to a Constituent Assembly to draft a democratic constitution. On 30 May 1985, the Constituent Assembly finished drafting a new constitution, which took effect immediately. General elections were scheduled, and civilian candidate Vinicio Cerezo was elected president. Revival of democratic government did not end the "disappearances" and death squad killings, as extrajudicial state violence had become an integral part of the political culture.[5]

Continuing terror edit

By the time Mejía Víctores assumed power, the counterinsurgency under Lucas García and Ríos Montt had largely succeeded in its objective of detaching the insurgency from its civilian support base. Additionally, Guatemalan military intelligence (G-2) had succeeded in infiltrating most of the political institutions. It eradicated opponents in the government through terror and selective assassinations. The counterinsurgency program had militarized Guatemalan society, creating a fearful atmosphere of terror that suppressed most public agitation and insurgency. The military had consolidated its power in virtually all sectors of society.[6]

In 1983, indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchú published a memoir of her life during that period, I, Rigoberta Menchú, An Indian Woman in Guatemala, which gained worldwide attention. She is the daughter of one of the peasant leaders who died in the Spanish Embassy massacre on 31 January 1980. She was later awarded the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize—in the year of the Fifth Centennial celebration of America Discovery—for her work favoring broader social justice.[Note 1] Her memoir drew international attention to Guatemala and the nature of its institutional terrorism.

After the August 1983 coup, both the U.S. intelligence community and human rights observers noted that while cases of human rights abuses in rural Guatemala were on the decline, death squad activity in the city was on the rise. Additionally, as the levels of wholesale extrajudicial killings and massacres decreased, the rates of abduction and forced disappearance increased. The situation in Guatemala City soon resembled the situation under Lucas García. In Mejía Víctores's first full month in power, the number of documented monthly kidnappings jumped from 12 in August to 56 in September. The victims included several U.S. Agency for International Development employees, officials from moderate and leftist political parties, and Catholic priests.[7] In a report to the United Nations, Guatemala's Human Rights Commission reported 713 extrajudicial killings and 506 disappearances of Guatemalans in the period from January to September 1984. A secret United States Department of Defense report from March 1986 noted that from 8 August 1983 to 31 December 1985, there were a total of 2,883 recorded kidnappings (3.29 daily), and kidnappings averaged a total of 137 a month through 1984 (a total of approximately 1,644 cases). The report linked these violations to a systematic program of abduction and killing by the security forces under Mejía Víctores, noting, "while criminal activity accounts for a small percentage of the cases, and from time to time individuals ‘disappear’ to go elsewhere, the security forces and paramilitary groups are responsible for most kidnappings. Insurgent groups do not now normally use kidnapping as a political tactic."[8]

Under Lucas García, part of the modus operandi of government repression during the Mejía government involved interrogating victims at military bases, police stations, or government safe houses. Information about alleged connections with insurgents was "extracted through torture." The security forces used the information to make joint military/police raids on suspected guerrilla safe-houses throughout Guatemala City. In the process, the government secretly captured hundreds of individuals who were never seen again or whose bodies were later found showing signs of torture and mutilation. Such activities were often carried out by specialized units of the National Police.[9] Between 1984 and 1986, the secret police (G-2) maintained an operations center for the counterinsurgency programs in southwest Guatemala at the southern airbase at Retalhuleu. There, the G-2 operated a clandestine interrogation center for suspected insurgents and collaborators. Captured suspects were reportedly detained in water-filled pits along the perimeter of the base, which was covered with cages. To avoid drowning, prisoners were forced to hold onto the cages over the pits. The bodies of prisoners tortured to death and live prisoners marked for disappearance were thrown out of IAI-201 Aravas by the Guatemalan Air Force over the Pacific Ocean ("death flights").[10]

Along with former Presidents José Efraín Ríos Montt and Fernando Romeo Lucas García, President Mejía was charged with murder, kidnapping and genocide in a Spanish court.

Notes edit

  1. ^ [dead link]. Stanfordalumni.org. June 1999. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2009. When some autobiographical details in the book were challenged, the Nobel Committee stated that they did not consider this grounds for rescinding the award for her work

References edit

  1. ^ . The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016.
  2. ^ Almanac of Famous People: Biographies at Google Books
  3. ^ Archivo Histórico de la Policía Nacional (2013). From Silence to Memory: Revelations of the AHPN (PDF). Eugene, OR: University of Oregon Libraries. p. xx. ISBN 978-0-985-82041-1.
  4. ^ Pike n.d.
  5. ^ Americas Watch and British Parliamentary Human Rights Group: 1987
  6. ^ CIDH 1999.
  7. ^ CIA 1983.
  8. ^ US Department of State 1986.
  9. ^ Guatemala's Disappeared: 1977-86.
  10. ^ Defense Intelligence Agency 1994.

Bibliography edit

  • CIA (29 October 1983). GUATEMALA: Political Violence. George Washington University: CIA, top secret intelligence report.
  • CIDH (1999). . SHR, AAAS. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  • CIDH (1981). "Guatemala 1981, Chapter IX". CIDH. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  • Defense Intelligence Agency (30 June 1983). Possible Coup in Guatemala (PDF). National Security Archive Electronic. Vol. Briefing Book No. 32. George Washington University: Defense Intelligence Agency, secret cable Section 3.
  • Defense Intelligence Agency (11 April 1994). Suspected Presence of Clandestine Cemeteries on a Military Installation (PDF). George Washington University: Defense Intelligence Agency, secret message.
  • Pike, John (n.d.). "Guatemala". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  • US Department of State (23 October 1967). Guatemala: A Counter-Insurgency Running Wild? (PDF). National Security Archive Electronic. Vol. Briefing Book No. 32. George Washington University: National Security Archive. p. 1.
  • US State Department (1967). "Guatemala". Assignment terror: The Army's Special Unit. National Security Archive Electronic. Vol. Briefing Book No. George Washington University: National Security Archive.
  • US Department of State (28 March 1986). Guatemala's Disappeared: 1977-86. George Washington University: Department of State, secret report.

External links edit

  • Oscar Humberto Mejía Victores, Trial Watch Profile, TRIAL[permanent dead link]
  • Military History in Guatemala
Political offices
Preceded by President of Guatemala
1983–1986 		Succeeded by

December 20, 2023
Óscar, humberto, mejía, víctores, this, spanish, name, first, paternal, surname, mejía, second, maternal, family, name, víctores, brigadier, general, december, 1930, february, 2016, guatemalan, military, officer, politician, served, head, government, from, aug. In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Mejia and the second or maternal family name is Victores Brigadier General oscar Humberto Mejia Victores 9 December 1930 1 February 2016 1 2 was a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as the Head of Government from August 1983 to January 1986 A member of the military he was head of state during the apex of repression and death squad activity in the Central American nation 3 When he was minister of defense he rallied a coup against President Rios Montt which he justified by declaring that religious fanatics were abusing the government He allowed for a return to democracy with elections for a constituent assembly being held in 1984 followed by general elections in 1985 Brigadier Generaloscar Humberto Mejia Victores27th Head of State of GuatemalaIn office 8 August 1983 14 January 1986DeputyRodolfo Lobos ZamoraPreceded byEfrain Rios MonttSucceeded byVinicio CerezoPersonal detailsBorn 1930 12 09 9 December 1930Guatemala CityDied1 February 2016 2016 02 01 aged 85 Guatemala CitySpouseAura Rosario Rosal Lopez Contents 1 Mejia Victores regime 1 1 Return to democratic appearances 1 2 Continuing terror 2 Notes 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External linksMejia Victores regime editReturn to democratic appearances edit Rios Montt was deposed on 8 August 1983 by his own Minister of Defense General Mejia Victores Mejia Victores became then de facto president and justified the coup by saying that religious fanatics were abusing their positions in the government and also because of official corruption Rios Montt remained in politics founding the Guatemalan Republican Front party in 1989 Elected to Congress he was elected President of Congress in 1995 and 2000 4 Due to international pressure as well as pressure from other Latin American nations General Mejia Victores allowed a gradual return to democracy in Guatemala On 1 July 1984 an election was held for representatives to a Constituent Assembly to draft a democratic constitution On 30 May 1985 the Constituent Assembly finished drafting a new constitution which took effect immediately General elections were scheduled and civilian candidate Vinicio Cerezo was elected president Revival of democratic government did not end the disappearances and death squad killings as extrajudicial state violence had become an integral part of the political culture 5 Continuing terror edit By the time Mejia Victores assumed power the counterinsurgency under Lucas Garcia and Rios Montt had largely succeeded in its objective of detaching the insurgency from its civilian support base Additionally Guatemalan military intelligence G 2 had succeeded in infiltrating most of the political institutions It eradicated opponents in the government through terror and selective assassinations The counterinsurgency program had militarized Guatemalan society creating a fearful atmosphere of terror that suppressed most public agitation and insurgency The military had consolidated its power in virtually all sectors of society 6 In 1983 indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchu published a memoir of her life during that period I Rigoberta Menchu An Indian Woman in Guatemala which gained worldwide attention She is the daughter of one of the peasant leaders who died in the Spanish Embassy massacre on 31 January 1980 She was later awarded the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize in the year of the Fifth Centennial celebration of America Discovery for her work favoring broader social justice Note 1 Her memoir drew international attention to Guatemala and the nature of its institutional terrorism After the August 1983 coup both the U S intelligence community and human rights observers noted that while cases of human rights abuses in rural Guatemala were on the decline death squad activity in the city was on the rise Additionally as the levels of wholesale extrajudicial killings and massacres decreased the rates of abduction and forced disappearance increased The situation in Guatemala City soon resembled the situation under Lucas Garcia In Mejia Victores s first full month in power the number of documented monthly kidnappings jumped from 12 in August to 56 in September The victims included several U S Agency for International Development employees officials from moderate and leftist political parties and Catholic priests 7 In a report to the United Nations Guatemala s Human Rights Commission reported 713 extrajudicial killings and 506 disappearances of Guatemalans in the period from January to September 1984 A secret United States Department of Defense report from March 1986 noted that from 8 August 1983 to 31 December 1985 there were a total of 2 883 recorded kidnappings 3 29 daily and kidnappings averaged a total of 137 a month through 1984 a total of approximately 1 644 cases The report linked these violations to a systematic program of abduction and killing by the security forces under Mejia Victores noting while criminal activity accounts for a small percentage of the cases and from time to time individuals disappear to go elsewhere the security forces and paramilitary groups are responsible for most kidnappings Insurgent groups do not now normally use kidnapping as a political tactic 8 Under Lucas Garcia part of the modus operandi of government repression during the Mejia government involved interrogating victims at military bases police stations or government safe houses Information about alleged connections with insurgents was extracted through torture The security forces used the information to make joint military police raids on suspected guerrilla safe houses throughout Guatemala City In the process the government secretly captured hundreds of individuals who were never seen again or whose bodies were later found showing signs of torture and mutilation Such activities were often carried out by specialized units of the National Police 9 Between 1984 and 1986 the secret police G 2 maintained an operations center for the counterinsurgency programs in southwest Guatemala at the southern airbase at Retalhuleu There the G 2 operated a clandestine interrogation center for suspected insurgents and collaborators Captured suspects were reportedly detained in water filled pits along the perimeter of the base which was covered with cages To avoid drowning prisoners were forced to hold onto the cages over the pits The bodies of prisoners tortured to death and live prisoners marked for disappearance were thrown out of IAI 201 Aravas by the Guatemalan Air Force over the Pacific Ocean death flights 10 Along with former Presidents Jose Efrain Rios Montt and Fernando Romeo Lucas Garcia President Mejia was charged with murder kidnapping and genocide in a Spanish court Notes edit dead link Stanford Magazine Stanfordalumni org June 1999 Archived from the original on 5 July 2008 Retrieved 3 September 2009 When some autobiographical details in the book were challenged the Nobel Committee stated that they did not consider this grounds for rescinding the award for her workReferences edit oscar Mejia Victores Guatemalan military ruler of mid 1980s dies at 85 The Washington Post The Washington Post Archived from the original on 3 February 2016 Almanac of Famous People Biographies at Google Books Archivo Historico de la Policia Nacional 2013 From Silence to Memory Revelations of the AHPN PDF Eugene OR University of Oregon Libraries p xx ISBN 978 0 985 82041 1 Pike n d Americas Watch and British Parliamentary Human Rights Group 1987 CIDH 1999 CIA 1983 US Department of State 1986 Guatemala s Disappeared 1977 86 Defense Intelligence Agency 1994 Bibliography editCIA 29 October 1983 GUATEMALA Political Violence George Washington University CIA top secret intelligence report CIDH 1999 Organizing and Repression in the University of San Carlos Guatemala 1944 to 1996 1983 1989 The Illusion of Democracy SHR AAAS Archived from the original on 6 May 2013 Retrieved 12 October 2012 CIDH 1981 Guatemala 1981 Chapter IX CIDH Retrieved 18 August 2014 Defense Intelligence Agency 30 June 1983 Possible Coup in Guatemala PDF National Security Archive Electronic Vol Briefing Book No 32 George Washington University Defense Intelligence Agency secret cable Section 3 Defense Intelligence Agency 11 April 1994 Suspected Presence of Clandestine Cemeteries on a Military Installation PDF George Washington University Defense Intelligence Agency secret message Pike John n d Guatemala Globalsecurity org Retrieved 3 September 2009 US Department of State 23 October 1967 Guatemala A Counter Insurgency Running Wild PDF National Security Archive Electronic Vol Briefing Book No 32 George Washington University National Security Archive p 1 US State Department 1967 Guatemala Assignment terror The Army s Special Unit National Security Archive Electronic Vol Briefing Book No George Washington University National Security Archive US Department of State 28 March 1986 Guatemala s Disappeared 1977 86 George Washington University Department of State secret report External links editOscar Humberto Mejia Victores Trial Watch Profile TRIAL permanent dead link Military History in Guatemala Inter Press Service News Agency A Glimmer of Hope for Genocide Victims FamiliesPolitical officesPreceded byJose Efrain Rios Montt President of Guatemala1983 1986 Succeeded byVinicio Cerezo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title oscar Humberto Mejia Victores amp oldid 1189578624, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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