PRESS BRIEFING ON GUATEMALA
Press Briefing
PRESS BRIEFING ON GUATEMALA
19970520
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
Denise Cook, Department of Political Affairs Desk Officer for Guatemala, told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon that the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) had issued a communique today on the case of the presumed forced disappearance of Juan Jose Cabrera Rodas, a member of the Revolutionary Organization of the People (ORPA), a faction of the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG).
Ms. Cook said the information obtained by the Mission confirmed that Mr. Cabrera was involved in the kidnapping of Mrs. de Novella on 19 October 1996. It had also been confirmed that Mr. Cabrera and Augusto Rafael Baldizon Nunez, another member of ORPA, were negotiating with the kidnapped woman's family.
According to MINUGUA's communique, the Mission's verification leads to the conviction that both men were captured by security forces. While Rafael Baldizon was exchanged for Mrs. de Novella at dawn the following day, no information existed as to the whereabouts of Juan Jose Cabrera since his capture. The Mission took note of various versions that coincided in indicating that Juan Jose Cabrera died at the moment of his capture. The Mission had not obtained the statements of the agents who had allegedly participated in the operation, because to date its formal request to interview them had been denied.
Very recently, high-level authorities of the Government had admitted to MINUGUA that a second person had been with Mr. Baldizon when he was captured, Ms. Cook said. The Presidential Chief of Staff had informed the Mission that its personnel did not participate in any anti-kidnapping actions. Nevertheless, the Mission had significant reasons to believe, originating from or ratified by reliable sources, that the office of the Presidential Chief of Staff had carried out different anti-kidnapping investigations and operations, and specifically, in the case of Mrs. de Novella.
The MINUGUA had stated that the office of the Presidential Chief of Staff had acted contrary to instructions asserted by his Chief and far exceeding his function and had followed procedures that were at odds with the law and the rule of law, she said. The Mission reiterated the need for the State to make the required fight against organized crime compatible with the commitment that there be no illegal security forces and clandestine machinery.
The MINUGUA also recalled that past actions of the office of the Presidential Chief of Staff could not be investigated fully by the competent national organs nor verified by the Mission. The Mission stressed that the verification of that case had been hampered by the lack of information on the part of government officials. In addition, the absence of a timely complaint
Guatemala Briefing - 2 - 20 May 1997
by the URNG had jeopardized the clarification of the fate or whereabouts of Juan Jose Cabrera.
Ms. Cook said the Mission would continue to deepen its verification of the case and would be issuing follow-up statements. The Spanish version of the MINUGUA communique that had been issued in Guatemala was now available, and an unofficial English version would be issued this afternoon.
At one point both sides, including the URNG, had denied that there was such a person known as "Comrade Mincho", so could you confirm that Mr. Cabrera was that person? a correspondent asked. Ms. Cook said it appeared that both parties had now acknowledged that this person did exist.
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