In Guatemala, four soldiers have gone on trial for the 1982 massacre of an estimated 250 villagers by a U.S.-backed death squad. The case marks the first time members of Guatemala’s armed forces have gone on trial for the Dos Erres massacre. The victims included women and children who were strangled, beaten with sledgehammers, and thrown down a well. In testimony this week, massacre survivors have described their ordeal, including watching the brutal killings of their loved ones. Human rights activist Mario Polanco called for the trial of a former death squad member recently extradited from the United States.

Mario Polanco: “Several members of the military have been arrested. Some are soldiers, and others are army officers. One was even arrested in the United States and was extradited to Guatemala. We trust there will be a conviction and a sentencing in this case, because it will be one of the few cases in which justice has been done in this country.”