Interview with Burden of Peace director

    Q: To some, “Burden of Peace” might seem like a record of futility because there is no real closure for the victims. What would you say to such people who interpret it that way?

    Joey Boink: I see the result of the genocide trial so far as representing two steps forward and one step backwards. To many survivors who gave testimony in court, it meant a lot to be able to tell their stories in front of a national judge. The trial allowed many Guatemalans to hear what happened to the Maya people in the Ixil area for the first time in their lives. Efraín Rios Montt was sentenced to 80 years for committing genocide and crimes against humanity, but the constitutional court ruled that the prosecutor had made procedural errors and annulled the sentence. To many, that meant steps have been taken towards justice but that there is still a lot to fight for.

    It would be too cynical to call the story a record of futility knowing that survivors feel proud to have been able to share their long-hidden experiences, that Rios Montt was sentenced for his crimes in a national court, and that lawyers and prosecutors continue to make efforts after each victory and each loss. There is no real closure for the victims of the armed conflict, but the people of Guatemala have not given up their struggle for justice.

    Q: Why is the film titled the “burden” of peace?

    Joey Boink: When the Dutch minister of foreign affairs, Bert Koenders, spoke at the film’s world premiere, he explained our title better than I could have done myself. He said: “The impact of civil conflict persists long after peace agreements have been signed. When violence has been the norm for so long, and there has been no law and order, the burden of peace is the long road to justice that begins where conflict ends.” I think the film illustrates this long road to justice.

    A second interpretation centers on Claudia’s personal struggle and sacrifice. Claudia’s surname, Paz y Paz, means “Peace and Peace.” It’s as though she was born with the heavy responsibility to fight for peace.

I'm looking forward to what appears to be a terrific film. Go check out the interview. I particularly appreciate Joey's closing comments.

Lawyers targeted in Guatemala

Louisa Reynolds provides some background on last week's apparent assassination of Guatemalan lawyer Francisco Palomo Tejada with 26 lawyers have been murdered in Guatemala in the past 3 years. Palomo was one of Efrain Rios Montt's lawyers for the recent genocide trial, but he has also been connected to a number of other high profile cases in recent years.

    Preliminary police reports state that Palomo’s murder was a hit, although the motives are still unclear. The fact that the murder occurred in the aftermath of a massive customs fraud scandal that has led to six consecutive weeks of nationwide demonstrations against the Pérez Molina administration has led to speculation that the killing could exacerbate the current climate of political instability.

    “This could have a deep impact on the middle-class protesters who have taken to the streets in recent weeks. People might see this as the beginning of a wave of selective repression and it could inhibit protest,” says Edgar Gutiérrez, director of the Institute for Addressing National Problems at the University of San Carlos.

    It is also unclear whether Palomo’s murder could have an impact on Ríos Montt’s retrial, which was scheduled for Jan. 5 but suspended after his defense team accused the presiding judge of bias. Although a new judge was appointed, no date has been set for the retrial.

    “Palomo specialized in technical procedures. What his [Ríos Montt’s] defense lawyers did was obstruct the case rather than defend him. It’s a very complicated case that’s moving at a snail’s pace. I’m not sure what impact it [Palomo’s murder] could have,” Gutiérrez said.

As of late last week, authorities were investigating three possible lines of investigation into Palomo's murder. The principal hypothesis is that we was killed because of a case that he was working on. However, the case is believed to be relatively low-profile. The murder comes during a brief uptick in the country's overall homicide rates as well as reasonable and questionable protests.


There's a good chance that authorities will find those responsible for the shooting death of Palomo. As I've said before, the MP's office has gotten pretty good at solving high-profile murders through the use of ballistics and video. Not perfect, but better.

Who benefits from the Patriotic Party's self-destruction?

For the last few weeks, Guatemalans have taken to the streets to protect gross corruption in their country, especially as demonstrated by the Otto Perez Molina administration. There's a strong sentiment that the protesters want him gone. However, that's not absolute. There's strong sentiment that they do not want Manuel Baldizon to be the next elected official to plunder the country's financial reserves, although I would imagine that the LIDER supporters are not on board with this. After that, there's some who are pushing for deeper reforms rather than a reshuffling of the deck chairs.


With an eye towards September's national elections, it's unclear what political party is going to be able to capitalize on the anti-corruption sentiment. The main opposition party, LIDER, has been holding hands with the Patriotic Party for the last few months. It's tough to see LIDER and Baldizon benefiting from the corruption scandals given that Baldizon himself, rightly or wrongly, seems to be associated with corruption. As the favorite, however, anything that hurt the PP should help LIDER to a certain.


To my surprise, UNE still exists as a political party. I thought that the fiasco surrounding Sandra Torres' run for the presidency in 2011 would doom the party. However, she now has to be one of the favorites to advance to a runoff later this year. While El Periodico had claimed her husband's administration's legacy to the people of Guatemala would be corruption, we haven't seen any hammers fall on the Colom's or their party since Alvaro left office. She remains popular because of various social programs that she oversaw as first lady. The PP's self-destruction definitely helped UNE, but I'm not sure that the party will be able to build on the anti-corruption sentiments.


One political grouping that hopes to build upon the rejection of Otto Perez Molina and the political establishment is the Frente Amplio Winaq-URNG. The Frente Amplio recently chose its presidential and vice-presidential candidates for September with Miguel Ángel Sandoval and Mario Gerardo Ellington Lambe. Sandoval is a familiar face. The political groupings on the left have failed to capitalize on citizen frustration with corruption and conflicts over mining and natural resource projects in the past. They were never able to build upon the pink tide sentiment of the last decade either. They have not benefited electorally from the calls for transitional justice.


They might be able to capitalize on the anti-corruption sentiment this year. A handful of analysts with whom I have spoken have voter for the URNG in the past as a protest vote. Perhaps more Guatemalans will do so this year. However, that probably means their binomial will capture between 5-10% of the total vote and 5-9 congressional seats. Minimal but better than previous showings.


The URNG (one of the Frente Amplio members) arguably has had one of the strongest political parties in the countries in terms of a clearly defined ideology political platform and regular departmental and national meetings. However, they don't have the resources to compete against the other political parties.

Prensa Libre

Guatemalans have come to expect food and other handouts at political rallies and for their vote. The URNG generally has not been able to afford such enticements. In the photo above, Baldizon's LIDER party raffled off bicycles and a motorcycle at one of their campaign events this weekend. They encouraged everyone to stay to the end of the rally as they were giving food away afterwards. Will greater numbers of Guatemalans reject this type of politics in 2015?


Perhaps the anti-corruption sentiment will help the Frente Amplio this year.