Guatemala: Ríos Montt sentenced to 80 years of prison

Ríos Montt in court

The mass murderer ex-dictator has been finally officially designed as criminal against Humankind and put behind bars.

The First Tribunal A of Greatest Risk declared retired general José Efraín Ríos Montt guilty of the crime of genocide (50 years) and crimes against Humankind (30 years) for the massacres committed against the Ixil People. 

However José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, former commander of military intelligence accused of the same crimes, was acquitted, on the grounds of lacking evidence that he had any influence on the operations area.

Judge Jazmín Barrios declared:

We the judges consider that the behavior of the accused Ríos Montt fits within the crime of genocide in quality of author, therefore the corresponding penalty must apply. We the judges are completely persuaded of the intention of physical destruction of the Ixil area. 

Edgar Pérez, of Justice and Reconciliation Association (AJR), explained that:

Under the rule of Ríos Montt part of the Ixil people was displaced towards the mountains, another part was relocated under concentration camp conditions in the so-called "model villages" and a third part was massacred.

The extermination campaign killed 33.61% of the Ixil ethnicity, what demonstrates that there was clear intention of destroying this ethnic group.

After the sentence was read, Judge Barrios decreed that Ríos Montt be interned in prison with immediate effect, removing all benefits of restricted freedom that the dictator enjoyed until yesterday.