Guatemalan Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera

On this date in 1998, Roman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera was found bludgeoned to death in his residence in Guatemala City. Gerardi was killed just days after the release of the Recovery of Historical Memory (REMHI) project that documented human rights abuses committed during the country's civil war. (Check out the GHCR's timeline of Gerardi life and death.)

On June 8, 2001, Colonel Byron Disrael Lima Estrada, Captain Byron Lima Oliva (his son), and José Obdulio Villanueva were convicted of having murdered Gerardi and were sentenced to 30 years in prison. Father Mario Orantes was sentenced to 20 years as an accomplice. 

The Catholic Church and the people of Guatemala are still waiting for justice in the bishop's death. According to the Archdiocese's Human Rights Office(ODHA), at least twenty people (mostly military officials) participated in the bishop's murder and its coverup.

Although he did not provide details, Nery Ronedas, the director of the ODHA, said that "We believe that some 20 people participated in the planning, monitoring and execution of Gerardi and the disinformation campaign that followed the crime."

http://paraqueseconozca.blogspot.com/

I do hope that one day Bishop Gerardi is remembered in the same way as Oscar Romero is in El Salvador. Maybe it's just me, but most Americans who are interested in Central America know Romero's story. However, only those whose research or interest is specific to Guatemala have heard about Gerardi.