About Mexico lindo. (Gainesville, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2012)
ANO 22 EDICION #1154 MEXICO UNDO 6 DE JULIO, 2012 8 Chapter 6: COCORICO 2 The U.S. arrests helped jolt Romero's investigation back to life. The Guatemalan military had been more respon sive to requests from U.S. authorities than its own pros ecutors. turning over documents about the fugitive commandos caught by ICE. American investigators sent the material to counterparts in Guatemala, where Jordan's confession and other evidence strengthened the cases against about a dozen suspects still at large. Former dictator Gen. Jose Efrain Rios Montt. The atmosphere in Guatemala had changed. In late 2010, a new attorney general, Claudia Paz y Paz, was appointed by President Alvaro Colom. Guatemala’s first female attorney general launched an unprecedented campaign against human rights abusers, charging former dictator Rios Montt with genocide and crimes against humanity. Oscar In addition, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica had ruled in favor of the lawsuit by Guatemalan activists, forcing Guatemala's Su preme Court to order the Dos Erres prosecution to resume. Fifteen years into the case, prosecutor Romero ordered a new round of arrests in 2011. Police were able to capture three of the commandos and Carias, the former local commander. Investigators faced danger and hostility. A witness in another atrocity case was murdered. Military families in the Guatemala City neighborhoods where suspects lived threatened to lynch police who were hunting for war crimi nals. Col. Roberto Anibal Rivera Martinez, the former lieutenant in charge of the Dos Erres unit, had escaped when the arrest team arrived at his home, which was equipped with a tunnel connected to another building. Prosecutors suspected that some of the fugitives were hiding on army bases or in areas dominated by the military. During questioning in Guatemala City, a captured commando described the abduction of the two boys. The judge supervising the case ordered Romero to redouble her efforts to find Oscar. Years before, she had been thwarted by the resistance of Oscar's family. The newspaper story about her investigation had not helped. But once again, in May 2011, Romero returned to Zacapa, where Oscar had been raised. Again she sat down with Oscar's uncle, the prominent doc tor. During her previous visit, he had accused her of slandering the lieutenant's honor with her questions about the boy. This time, the doctor was a bit more cooperative. He disclosed that Oscar was living in the United States and now had a family. He said he did not know their phone number. "His wife's nickname is La Flaca (The Skinny Girl),” the doctor said. Armed with that lead, investigators located a merchant who helped them identify Nidia and track down her family in a nearby town. The prosecutor interviewed Nidia's parents. They gave her Oscars email address, which in corporated the word Cocorico2. Romero realized cont. PAG.9 PREEN WILLOTA Dara <A\zjor Serviaio - Examen Fisico [pediatrics Para Deportistas - Examen Fisico Regular - Vacunas - Sin Cita Dra. Seema Bisht Nadler. MD Alma Nakasone. Enfermera General Certificada. - Se Aceptan Sin Seguro Medico Pacientes Nuevos - Hablamos Espanol 678- 450 -0747 3030 McEver Rd Suite 130 Casi al frente de la Iglesia Free Chapel: Entre StateFarm & Escuela de Karate) CapituloVI: COCORICO 2do Las detenciones en los Estados Unidos ayudaron a que la investigation de Romero resucite. El ejercito guatemalteco habia sido mas receptivo a las peticiones de las autoridades de los Estados Unidos que sus propios fiscales, entregando los documentos acerca de los ecomandos de fugitivos capturados por el ICE. Los ‘investigadores estadounidenses enviaron el ma- arewaennia terial a las contrapartes en Guatemala, donde la confesion de Jordan y otras pruebas fortalecieron los casos en contra de una docena de sospechosos que siguen en libertad. El ex dictador general Jose Efrain Rios Montt. El ambiente en Guatemala habia cambiado. A finales de 2010, un nuevo fiscal gen eral, Claudia Paz y Paz, fue nombrada por el presidente Alvaro Colom. La primera mujer fiscal general de Guatemala, lanzo una campana sin precedentes contra los violadores de derechos humanos. acusando al ex dictador Rios Montt de genocidio y crimenes contra la humanidad. Ademas, la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos en Costa Rica, se habia pronunciado en favor de la demanda por parte de los activistas guatemaltecos, lo que oblige a la Corte Suprema de Guatemala, ordenar que se continue con el procesamiento de Dos Erres. Quince anos en el caso, la fiscal Romero ordend una nueva ronda de Romero detenciones en 2011. La policia pudo capturar a tres de los comandos y a Carias, el ex-comandante local. Los investigadores enfrentaron peligro y hostilidad. Un testigo en otro atroz caso fue asesinado. Las familias de los militares en los barrios de la Ciudad de Guatemala, donde vivlan los sospechosos, amenazaron con linchar a los policias que estaban a la caza de los criminales de guerra. El coronel Roberto Anibal Rivera Martinez, el ex teniente a cargo de la unidad de Dos Erres, se habia escapado cuando el equipo de arresto llego a su casa. que estaba equipada con un tunel conectado a otro edificio. La fiscalia sospecha que algunos de los fugitivos se esconden en las bases militares o en las areas dominadas por los militares. Durante el interrogatorio en la Ciudad de Guatemala, un comando caplurado describe el secuestro de los dos muchachos. El juez supervisor del caso ordend a Romero a que redoblara sus esfuerzos para encontrar a Oscar. Anos antes, ella se habia frustrado con la resistencia de la familia de Oscar. La noticia en el periodico acerca de su investigation no la habia ayudado. Pero una vez mas, en mayo de 2011, Romero regreso a Zacapa, donde Oscar habia sido criado. Una vez mas, ella se sento con el tio de Oscar, el destacado medico. Durante su visita anterior, el la habia acusado de difamar el honor del teniente con sus preguntas sobre el nino. Esta vez, el medico era un poco mas cooperativo. El reveld que Oscar estaba viviendo en los Estados Unidos y que ahora tenia una familia. El dijo que no sabia su numero de telefono. "El apodo de su esposa es La Flaca (The Skinny Girl)", dijo el medico. Armados con esa ventaja, los investigadores cont. PAG.9
