• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=4/28/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-230391
TITLE=GUATEMALA/BISHOP (L)
BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE
DATELINE=SAN JOSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  GUATEMALA IS GOING TO ACCEPT U-S ASSISTANCE IN 
INVESTIGATING THE MURDER OF CATHOLIC BISHOP JUAN GERARDI, A HUMAN
RIGHTS CHAMPION. CORRESPONDENT MICHAEL DRUDGE REPORTS FROM THE 
V-O-A CENTRAL AMERICA BUREAU.
TEXT:  THE GUATEMALAN INTERIOR MINISTER RODOLFO MENDOZA SAYS HE 
WANTS U-S ASSISTANCE AND HOPES IT WILL PROVE TO HIS COUNTRYMEN 
THE BISHOP'S MURDER IS BEING INVESTIGATED WITH WHAT HE CALLED 
TOTAL PROFESSIONALISM AND TRANSPARENCY.
MR. MENDOZA DID NOT ELABORATE ON WHAT SORT OF AID WILL BE 
REQUESTED.  THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
IS READY TO HELP GUATEMALA IN ANY APPROPRIATE WAY. 
MR. MENDOZA IS UNDER IMMENSE PRESSURE BOTH INTERNATIONALLY AND 
FROM GUATEMALAN CHURCH AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS TO SOLVE THE 
MURDER OF BISHOP GERARDI, WHO WAS BLUDGEONED TO DEATH BY A 
ROCK-WELDING KILLER AT HIS GUATEMALA CITY HOME LATE SUNDAY.
TWO DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH, THE 75-YEAR-OLD BISHOP HAD RELEASED A 
CHURCH-SPONSORED HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT INTO THE KILLING OF 150 
THOUSAND PEOPLE DURING GUATEMALA'S THREE-DECADE CIVIL WAR WITH 
LEFTIST GUERRILLAS.
THE REPORT FINDS THE MILITARY AND PARAMILITARY GROUPS RESPONSIBLE
FOR 90 PERCENT OF THE KILLINGS.
GUATEMALA'S NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE, RIGOBERTA MENCHU, IS CALLING 
THE BISHOP'S KILLING AN ORGANIZED POLITICAL CRIME.
         ///INSERT MENCHU SPANISH ACT AND FADE UNDER///
SHE SAYS IF THE INTELLECTUAL AUTHORS ARE NOT FOUND, IT WILL BE 
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF IMPUNITY IN GUATEMALA.
                        /// REST OPT ///
LARGE CROWDS OF MOURNERS HAVE LINED UP AROUND GUATEMALA CITY'S 
18TH-CENTURY CATHEDRAL TO FILE PAST THE CASKET AS THE NATION PAYS
ITS LAST RESPECTS TO BISHOP GERARDI, WHO WAS GUATEMALA'S 
SECOND-RANKING CATHOLIC LEADER.
MANY GUATEMALA CITY HOMES ARE DISPLAYING BLACK RIBBONS ON 
DOORWAYS.  A FUNERAL MASS IS PLANNED FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING AND 
BURIAL WILL BE INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL. (SIGNED).
NEB/MWD/TMD/JO
28-Apr-98 3:55 PM EDT (1955 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.