Guatemala Remembers Victims of Military Genocide
Guatemala Remembers Victims of Military Genocide
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A tribute to victims of government genocide was part of the March of Historical Memory. | Photo: EFE
Published 30 June 2016
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Guatemalan social movements paid tribute to victims of military violence in an annual march.
Hundreds of Guatemalans flooded the streets Thursday as part of the March of Historical Memory, an annual event that commemorates the victims of the government military genocide. The march, led by the collective Sons and Daughters for Identity and Justice Against Oblivion and Silence, passed through the historic center of the capital before gathering outside the National Palace of Culture.
During the march, tributes were made to the hundreds of thousands of victims who suffered during the country’s almost 40 years of military violence. The activity was held during Armed Forces Day, as it is every year, to remember the victims of forced disappearances, genocide and crimes against humanity committed by that body.
From 1960 to 1996, at least 150,000 people died or were forcibly disappeared by the Guatemalan military. Indigenous, social movements and rural populations lived under a reign of terror. A guerrilla movement emerged against the government and the conflict came to an end after a peace agreement was signed by both parties on December 29, 1996.
More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Guatemala-Remembers-Victims-of-Military-Genocide-20160630-0051.html
