system in 1999. Her father, Vincente, WAS one of the 37 people Killed in a police raid on the English Embassy in 1980 to dislodge Peasant and Student Leaders Who Had Occupied the building to demand a stop to military abuse it. But it wasn't
Until 2005 Spain's constitutional court That Ruled That Could nation's tribunals try Guatemalan Leaders for Crimes Against Humanity - Even if English Citizens Were Not affected.
English Judge Santiago Pedraz fired off the arrest warrants on July 7 after Returning Home from a visit to Guatemala Investigative frustrated. I HAD hoped to hear Testimony from Witnesses and Defendants But WAS blocked by a series of appeals from defense lawyers. His arrest warrants
named a succession of Former army generals whby the commission. The vast majority of victims were of Mayan descent.
But while the news of Pedraz's warrants caused a media flurry here, no action has been taken on the warrants. The Guatemalan government says it still hasn't received official notification from the English government.
To date, the accused have not testified before any court. Fernando Romeo Lucas Garcí\u00ada died in Venezuela in May.
The government's human rights commissioner, Frank La Rue, said he sees no reason why the arrest warrants couldn't be executed in Guatemala. ''These crimes should be prosecutable anywhere in the world,'' he said.
But others say that won't be easy. Yolanda Párez, president of the National Association of Lawyers and a public defender, said that complying with the arrest warrant is a question of political will.
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