Guatemala: Tribunal suspende inicio de juicio a Rios Montt

A Guatemalan court postponed the trial of General Efraín Ríos Montt, initially set for Monday, due to a request from his lawyers to remove the presiding judge, Janet Valdés, over a potential bias from her thesis on genocide. Ríos Montt was previously sentenced in 2013 to 80 years for genocide, but the sentence was annulled by the Constitutional Court, requiring a retrial. The UN reported that 245,000 people were killed or disappeared during the Guatemalan Civil War, with the military and paramilitary groups responsible for 97% of these crimes.

Why was the trial of General Efraín Ríos Montt postponed?

• Ríos Montt was not present in court.

• The judge was on vacation.

• The defense requested the removal of the presiding judge.

• The prosecution was not ready.

What was the reason given for requesting the removal of the presiding judge in Ríos Montt's trial?

• She had a personal connection to the case.

• She had previously ruled against Ríos Montt.

• She had written a thesis on genocide.

• She was not qualified to preside over the case.

What was the outcome of Ríos Montt's 2013 trial?

• He was acquitted of all charges.

• He was sentenced to 80 years in prison.

• He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

• The trial was declared a mistrial.

What action did the Constitutional Court take regarding Ríos Montt's 2013 sentencing?

• They upheld the sentencing.

• They reduced the sentence.

• They annulled the trial and sentencing.

• They increased the sentence.

During the Guatemalan Civil War, what percentage of crimes were attributed to the military and paramilitary groups according to the UN?

• 97%

• 75%

• 50%

• 100%