Weekly Report - 27 July 2004

Guatemalans were reminded last week of the true nature of the Patrullas de Autodefensa Civil (PAC), the peasant militia used by the military as their frontline force against leftwing guerrillas. One of the survivors and key witnesses of a massacre committed in 1982 received a death threat on the anniversary of the event. On 16 July 1982 dozens of PAC militiamen, led by army officers, descended upon the town of Plan de Sánchez, about 80 kilometres north of Guatemala City. They raped the women and killed 268 of the townspeople.

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