Guatemalan Civil War

The Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960 to 1996. It was mostly fought between the government of Guatemala and various leftist rebel groups mainly supported by Mayan indigenous people and poor peasants. The government forces of Guatemala have been condemned for committing genocide against the Mayan population of Guatemala during the civil war and for widespread human rights violations against the civilian populace of the country. The influence of the Guatemalan military over the government occurred in different stages during the years of the civil war. Due to its dominance over the executive branch of the civil government during the 1960s and the 1970s, the military was able to infiltrate every institution of Guatemalan national government and civil society. The Intelligence Section of the Army, subsequently called Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the National Defense and generally known as the D-2 or G-2, became the means by which the military infiltrated and subsequently exercised totalitarian control over Guatemalan society. During the 1980s, the Guatemalan military assumed almost absolute government power for five years, having successfully infiltrated and eliminated enemies in every socio-political institution of the nation, including the political, social, and ideological classes. In the final stage of the civil war, the military developed a parallel, semi-visible, low profile, but high-impact, control of Guatemala's national life.

40,000 to 50,000 people disappeared during the war and up to 200,000 were killed or missing. Felipe Cusanero became the first person to be sentenced for this in 2009 when he received a 150-year jail term, 25 years for each of his six missing victims. This was hailed a landmark prison sentence in Guatemala.