Writer Billy Briggs and I were in Guatemala to document the escalating violence and

human rights abuses in one of the most vGUATEMALA: GANGS
Writer Billy Briggs and I were in Guatemala
to document the escalating violence and
human rights abuses in one of the most
violent nations in the world. There are more
killings per day than there were during the
dark days of a civil war that ended in 1996.
The killing of women, the execution of
selected individuals by elements within the
police and military, gang and crime-related
killings ‘Social cleansing’ by vigilante
groups, and other acts of random violence
have created a widespread sense of
insecurity. Guatemala is a nation living in
fear.
The early hours of Sunday morning at the
San Juan de Dios hospital and young men
who are victims of gang stabbings and
shootings arrive in increasing numbers.

In San Juan de Dios hospital, former gang
member Gersen Armando Ramirez Santos
(aka Lucifer) 26 lies seriously wounded, as
surgeons fight to save his life after he has
been shot twice in the chest allegedly by
police. He died twice on the operating table.
Ramirez was born and brought up in L.A in
U.S.A joining the local Mara 18 gang when
he was 10 years old.
He was sentenced to life without parole
when he was 15 years of age but after
serving 9 years, 6 of them in the hole, he
was released because of police corruption
charges and returned to his parents country
of Guatemala. We met up with Armando at
his girlfriend’s home on the morning we left
Guatemala, he was making a surprisingly,
speedy recovery.
Monday morning at the City Morgue, zone
3, after a weekend of violence is a busy
place, with families waiting to identify their

loved ones.
The body of Colonia Marianita De Villa
Nveva, 19, is delivered by police after
having been found dead with a bullet in the
head.
Violence against women is commonplace.
We met Maria Elva Palma the grieving
mother of Santos Marlene Flores who was
brutally murdered by a policeman
neighbour who lived only a few doors away.
The father of Santos, Alberto Antonio and
sister Areely Gomez de Hernandez 40 [who
witnessed the killing] hold a photograph of
her. The family are still living in the house
where she was slain.
Odilia Medrano Pineda,56,pictured in
church, was brutally raped beaten and left
to die by her attackers. She could hear
them discussing whether to decapitate her
but they decided against it because she
appeared dead and it would take too long.

They then returned to her house where they
raped her daughter Dora,18, [who had a
mental age of 13] and set her on fire. She
died in hospital from 90deg. burns. Her faith
in God has given her the strength to go on.iolent nations in the world. There are more

killings per day than there were during the

dark days of a civil war that ended in 1996.

The killing of women, the execution of

selected individuals by elements within the

police and military, gang and crime-related

killings ‘Social cleansing’ by vigilante

groups, and other acts of random violence

have created a widespread sense of

insecurity. Guatemala is a nation living in

fear.

The early hours of Sunday morning at the

San Juan de Dios hospital and young men

who are victims of gang stabbings and

shootings arrive in increasing numbers.

In San Juan de Dios hospital, former gang

member Gersen Armando Ramirez Santos

(aka Lucifer) 26 lies seriously wounded, as

surgeons fight to save his life after he has

been shot twice in the chest allegedly by

police. He died twice on the operating table.

Ramirez was born and brought up in L.A in

U.S.A joining the local Mara 18 gang when

he was 10 years old.

He was sentenced to life without parole

when he was 15 years of age but after

serving 9 years, 6 of them in the hole, he

was released because of police corruption

charges and returned to his parents country

of Guatemala. We met up with Armando at

his girlfriend’s home on the morning we left

Guatemala, he was making a surprisingly,

speedy recovery.

Monday morning at the City Morgue, zone

3, after a weekend of violence is a busy

place, with families waiting to identify their

loved ones.

The body of Colonia Marianita De Villa

Nveva, 19, is delivered by police after

having been found dead with a bullet in the

head.

Violence against women is commonplace.

We met Maria Elva Palma the grieving

mother of Santos Marlene Flores who was

brutally murdered by a policeman

neighbour who lived only a few doors away.

The father of Santos, Alberto Antonio and

sister Areely Gomez de Hernandez 40 [who

witnessed the killing] hold a photograph of

her. The family are still living in the house

where she was slain.

Odilia Medrano Pineda,56,pictured in

church, was brutally raped beaten and left

to die by her attackers. She could hear

them discussing whether to decapitate her

but they decided against it because she

appeared dead and it would take too long.

They then returned to her house where they

raped her daughter Dora,18, [who had a

mental age of 13] and set her on fire. She

died in hospital from 90deg. burns. Her faith

in God has given her the strength to go on.