Western Hemisphere: Ambassador at Large Stephen J. Rapp Travels to Guatemala

Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen J. Rapp will travel to Guatemala April 24-26 to attend meetings and consultations related to the trial of José Efraín Ríos Montt.

Retired General and former head of state, José Efraín Ríos Montt, and retired General José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez are standing trial for genocide and crimes against humanity stemming from Ríos Montt’s rule from 1982-1983. The trial has been temporarily suspended awaiting one or more rulings from Guatemala’s Constitutional Court.

The Ríos Montt trial is historic in that it is the first prosecution of a former head of state at the national level for genocide.

Ambassador Rapp will meet with U.S. Government and Embassy officials, local victims groups, and other international officials, including staff from the United Nations Development Program. In the event that the trial resumes while he is in Guatemala, the Ambassador will attend.

For more information on the Office of Global Criminal Justice, visit the office’s website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.