DATE=4/28/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-230410 TITLE=GUATEMALA / BISHOP (L-ONITER) BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE DATELINE=SAN JOSE CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: GUATEMALANS ARE PAYING THEIR LAST RESPECTS TO A RENOWNED ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP WHO WAS KILLED AFTER CRITICIZING MILITARY HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. CORRESPONDENT MICHAEL DRUDGE REPORTS FROM THE V-O-A CENTRAL AMERICA BUREAU. TEXT: THOUSANDS OF GRIEVING GUATEMALANS HAVE FLOCKED TO THE CAPITAL'S METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL TO FILE PAST THE CASKET OF BISHOP JUAN GERARDI. A FUNERAL MASS IS PLANNED FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING (BEGINNING AT 1500 UTC -- 11AM EDT). BISHOP GERARDI WAS KILLED LATE SUNDAY. THE KILLER SHATTERED HIS SKULL WITH A CONCRETE BLOCK. THE KILLING CAME JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THE BISHOP HAD ISSUED A SCATHING HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ON GUATEMALA'S 36-YEAR CIVIL WAR. THE REPORT LAID BLAME ON THE ARMY FOR MOST OF 150 THOUSAND KILLINGS RECORDED IN THE WAR AGAINST LEFTIST GUERRILLAS. THE BISHOP'S MURDER HAS BEEN CONDEMNED AROUND THE WORLD BY SUCH NOTED FIGURES AS POPE JOHN PAUL AND U-N SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN. UNDER PRESSURE TO QUICKLY SOLVE THE MURDER, GUATEMALAN INTERIOR MINISTER RODOLFO MENDOZA IS TURNING TO THE UNITED STATES FOR HELP. THE U-S FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION COULD BE CALLED IN TO ASSIST GUATEMALAN POLICE. MR. MENDOZA SAYS HE HOPES IT WILL CONVINCE GUATEMALANS THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS OPEN AND PROFESSIONAL. BISHOP GERARDI'S COLLEAGUES AMONG HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARE WATCHING THE INVESTIGATION CLOSELY. AMONG THEM IS RIGOBERTA MENCHU, GUATEMALA'S WINNER OF THE 1992 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. ///INSERT MENCHU SPANISH ACT AND FADE UNDER/// MS. MENCHU CALLS THE BISHOP'S KILLING AN ORGANIZED POLITICAL CRIME. SHE SAYS IF THE INTELLECTUAL AUTHORS ARE NOT FOUND, IT WILL BE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF IMPUNITY IN GUATEMALA. (SIGNED). NEB/MWD/CB/TS 28-Apr-98 11:48 PM EDT (0348 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
