Disappeared in Guatemala

Tens of thousands of Guatemalans, both civilians and combatants, were disappeared by government forces over the past 3 decades. One of the fundamental tasks assumed by the government and guerrillas through the ongoing U.N.-mediated peace process is to end the impunity with which such crimes have been committed. In a series of agreements signed over the course of 1994, the parties agreed that the truth about human rights violations should be exposed and those responsible should be brought to justice. The disappearance of Efraín Bámaca Velásquez, a combatant with the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca who was captured by the army in March 1992, puts these solemn commitments to the test, a test which thus far, the government has failed.