Jul
Historical Memory, Human Rights, International Meddling
Mozote trial slowly continues
ARPAS is one of the few outlets still reporting about the on-going trial against militars involved in the massacre of El Mozote.
Private prosecutors state that a specialist proposed by the defense of the military to inspect files “has links with the accused”.
In the Examining Court of San Francisco Gotera (Department of Morazán), a hearing is held to resolve an incident of recusal against military experts (specialists) imposed by the defense, for their expertise in artillery, as part of the historical criminal process for the massacre of El Mozote and nearby places.
The private prosecutors requested that Nelson Iván Saldaña be removed from the process because “he has ties to the defendants. He does not offer sufficient guarantees of impartiality and objectivity to carry out that function”, said lawyer David Morales, of Cristosal.
Morales explained that Saldaña was a classmate of the 1971 “tanda” to which 3 of those involved in the massacre belong: Mauricio Duque Lozano, Juan Méndez Rodríguez and Roberto Mendoza Portillo (deceased). They were some of the captains who led troops during the massacre.
The lawyer explained that Saldaña was also an officer whose direct commander, at the beginning of the armed conflict, was Lieutenant Colonel Adalberto Landaverde, now on trial for having been artillery chief and participant in the operation that led to the massacre. He served as intelligence officer for the artillery brigade.
The private prosecution explained that the other proposed expert would have graduated as an officer after the armed conflict, but noted that “guarantees of impartiality have not been given”.
The judge has ordered inspection in military files, as part of the historic criminal process for the massacre. File specialists were sworn in last week.
President Bukele stated in November 2019 that he would open the military files.
(You can read about how Ronald Reagan’s administration backed that massacre here)
