Parlacen Murders

On Wednesday, a court sentenced eight Guatemalans for their roles in the February 2007 killing of three Salvadoran legislators of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) - Eduardo D'Aubuisson, William Pichinte and Jose Gonzalez - and their driver, Gerardo Ramirez. (EFE, AP, Prensa Libre, El Faro)

Former Guatemalan congressman Manuel de Jesus Castillo was sentenced to 203 years for masterminding the murders which he supposedly carried out "at the behest of erstwhile Salvadoran legislator Roberto Silva Pereira, who wanted revenge against El Salvador's then-ruling ARENA party for having expelled him over alleged criminal activity." 

Salvadoran congressmen, including those from his own ARENA party, had revoked Silva Pereira's immunity so that he could be tried by Salvadoran courts on the charges of money laundering and corruption.  This was his revenge.

Javier Lemus, Carlos Orellana, Marvin Contreras and Obdulio de Leon of the Jalpatagua gang were sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for their part in the quadruple-murder.  Two others received lighter sentences.  Carlos Orellana Donis was convicted of criminal conspiracy, falsifying documents and obstruction of justice (17 years) and Carlos Gutierrez was convicted of being an accomplice to murder (99 years).

Linda Aura was the single defendant acquitted.  She was acquitted of having been an accomplice to murder, racketeering, and conspiracy to cover up murder.  The defendants have ten days to appeal the verdict. 

However, the case probably still won't end as Guatemalan and Salvadoran authorities have to work through the allegation for a former CICIG attorney that pointed to the involvement of other Guatemalan authorities (Vielmman, Sperisen, and Figueroa).  The attorney, Gisele Rivera, has a warrant out for her arrest in Guatemala on a variety of crimes related mostly to misrepresentation.  Her research also found that one of, if not the main motives, was $5 million found in the car along with cocaine.

Rivera also accused Castresana of blocking investigations involving Vielmann, Sperisen, Figueroa and others.  She claimed that a complaint had been lodged with the UN against Castresana in March, three months before his resignation.  These accusations have been the talk of the town for the last two weeks in Guatemala.  However, the Martha Doggett of the UN just said that her office has no record of any such complaint.

Well, we'll just have to see what happens this weekend.