{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has died' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d770d8eafeecae20be8f' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d770d8eafeecae20be8f' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nFormer Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has died\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eFormer dictator Efrain Rios Montt, who seized power in a 1982 coup and presided over one of the bloodiest periods of Guatemala's civil war as soldiers waged a scorched-earth campaign to root out Marxist guerrillas, died on Sunday, his...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eFormer dictator Efrain Rios Montt, who seized power in a 1982 coup and presided over one of the bloodiest periods of Guatemala's civil war as soldiers waged a scorched-earth campaign to root out Marxist guerrillas, died on Sunday, his lawyers said. \u003cbr/\u003e              Lawyer Jaime Hernandez said the family told him the 91-year-old died of a heart attack. \u003cbr/\u003e              Another of his attorneys, Luis Rosales, said he \"died in peace, surrounded by his family,\" a striking contrast to the thousands of Guatemalans who died barbaric deaths during his rule and were often tossed into unmarked graves or whose bodies disappeared. \u003cbr/\u003e              Echoing Rios Montt's longstanding, angry denials, Rosales said, \"Here (in Guatemala) there was no genocide.\" \u003cbr/\u003e              Rios Montt was convicted in 2013 of genocide and crimes against humanity for the massacre of 1,771 indigenous Ixil Mayans by security forces under his command. \u003cbr/\u003e              But the ruling was swiftly set aside and a new trial ordered, dismaying human rights activists and victims who long sought to see him punished for atrocities during his 17-month regime. \u003cbr/\u003e              In October, his trial on genocide charges resumed behind closed doors after being suspended for more than a year while his lawyers argued that he was too senile to participate, with no memory and unable to make decisions. \u003cbr/\u003e              He is survived by his wife, two children and several grandchildren. \u003cbr/\u003e              An ex-general known for inspiring fear and giving speeches at a near-shout, Rios Montt was later a longtime member of congress and one of the most influential figures in Guatemalan politics for more than three decades. \u003cbr/\u003e              Born June 16, 1926, in the city of Huehuetenango, in western Guatemala's highlands, Rios Montt grew up in a conservative Roman Catholic family. \u003cbr/\u003e              He entered the army in 1946 as a cadet and, over a long career, held nearly every military post there was: troop assistant, platoon commander, instructor, defense secretary. He attended the U.S. School of the Americas in the 1950s, and became a brigadier general in 1972. \u003cbr/\u003e              Rios Montt first ran for president in 1974 but lost amid allegations of electoral fraud and was sent to the Guatemalan Embassy in Spain as military attache. \u003cbr/\u003e              In March 1982, he seized power in a military coup and promptly suspended the constitution, disbanded congress and set in motion a ruthless counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in thousands of deaths. \u003cbr/\u003e              According to a U.N. truth commission, the worst atrocities of the 1960-1996 Guatemalan Civil War took place during his rule. \u003cbr/\u003e              Nonetheless he continued to receive the support of the United States, where President Ronald Reagan called him \"a man of great personal integrity and commitment.\" \u003cbr/\u003e              In power, Rios Montt alienated a broad spectrum of society, including the military, businesspeople and the Catholic Church, leading to his ouster by another putsch in August 1983 led by his own defense minister. \u003cbr/\u003e              However he remained popular among many for his social welfare initiatives and for the relative peace his \"iron fist\" approach brought to some regions. \u003cbr/\u003e              In 1985, a clause was added to the constitution barring him and his progeny from seeking the presidency. \u003cbr/\u003e              But Rios Montt remained in politics, founding a new conservative party in 1990 and entering congress a decade later when political ally Alfonso Portillo was elected president. \u003cbr/\u003e              In 2003, Rios Montt was finally able to make another run for president after the Constitutional Court allowed his candidacy. \u003cbr/\u003e              He came in a distant third — in part due to scandals under the government of Portillo, who would later plead guilty in the U.S. to laundering millions of ill-gotten dollars through American banks. \u003cbr/\u003e              For years Rios Montt enjoyed immunity from prosecution as an elected member of congress. That changed when he lost re-election in 2011 and was ordered into house arrest. \u003cbr/\u003e              After more than 100 legal appeals were exhausted, his 2013 trial was seen as a historic opportunity to hold a Latin American dictator responsible for abuses committed on his watch. \u003cbr/\u003e              Dozens of witnesses testified about rapes, massacres, forced displacement and other crimes by soldiers that, prosecutors argued, Rios Montt either ordered or must have known about. \u003cbr/\u003e              Smartly dressed in a suit and shoes polished to a shine, the former general vehemently maintained his innocence: \"It was never my intention or my goal to destroy a whole ethnic group. ... I never ordered attacks on a specific race.\" \u003cbr/\u003e              Rios Montt was convicted and sentenced to 80 years. But practically before the ink on the ruling had time to dry, the ruling was tossed over trial irregularities and a new proceeding ordered. \u003cbr/\u003e              With Rios Montt by then in his late 80s and reportedly suffering from heart disease and spinal problems, human rights watchdogs feared the setback meant he would never be convicted. \u003cbr/\u003e              At a hearing in January 2015, he was wheeled into court on a gurney ashen-faced, clad in pajamas, covered with a blanket and wearing dark sunglasses. \u003cbr/\u003e              It was a far cry from the man Guatemalans knew: diminutive of stature but with a booming voice, commanding presence and penetrating gaze. \u003cbr/\u003e              A three-justice panel ruled that one of the judges had to recuse herself, delaying the retrial indefinitely. \u003cbr/\u003e              Rios Montt was married to Maria Teresa Sosa and had three children: Adolfo, who joined the army, participated in his father's coup and was killed in 1984 in a rebel downing of a military helicopter; Zury, who was elected to Guatemala's congress and in 2004 married then-U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.); and Enrique, who also went into the army and served as defense minister. \u003cbr/\u003e              According to the United Nations, some 245,000 people were killed or disappeared during Guatemala's 1960-1996 civil war, with the vast majority of the killings attributed to the army or paramilitary groups.\u003cbr/\u003e            \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City - 23 March 1982\u003cbr/\u003e              ++NIGHT SHOT++\u003cbr/\u003e              1. General Efrain Rios Montt appearing before applauding crowd\u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City- Exact date unknown March 1982\u003cbr/\u003e              2. Wide shot of army on the streets of Guatemala City\u003cbr/\u003e              3. Mid shot of Rios Montt giving speech after taking power (++NIGHT SHOT++)\u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City - 23 March 1982\u003cbr/\u003e              4. Helicopter landing in front of National Palace\u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City - 1 January 1995\u003cbr/\u003e              5.  Rios Montt in military garb speaking\u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City -14 January, 1995 \u003cbr/\u003e              6. President welcomes Rios Montt\u003cbr/\u003e              7. Protesters outside Congress building as Rios Montt is sworn in as President of the Guatemalan Congress \u003cbr/\u003e              8. Wide shot of protesters\u003cbr/\u003e              9. Rios Montt preparing to speak to lawmakers \u003cbr/\u003e              10. Lawmakers applauding \u003cbr/\u003e              11. Rios Montt addressing lawmakers in Congress \u003cbr/\u003e              12. Lawmakers applauding \u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Rabinal - 14 June 2003\u003cbr/\u003e              13. Wide shot of protest\u003cbr/\u003e              14. Protesters throwing stones at Rios Montt\u003cbr/\u003e              15. Protesters yelling and throwing stones\u003cbr/\u003e              16. Mid shot of Rios Montt\u003cbr/\u003e              17. Long shot of protesters chasing Rios Montt, security helping Rios Montt to get inside a car\u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City - 9 May 2013\u003cbr/\u003e              18. Wide of photographers taking pictures of court officials in courtroom\u003cbr/\u003e              19. Mid of police officers \u003cbr/\u003e              20. Rios Montt putting on headphones and sitting down to make statements\u003cbr/\u003e              21. People from the indigenous Ixil Mayan people listening to translations of proceedings through headphones \u003cbr/\u003e              22. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Efrain Rios Montt, former Guatemalan dictator:\u003cbr/\u003e              \"I never did it, and from everything that they have said, there is no evidence to show my participation.\"\u003cbr/\u003e              23. People from the indigenous Ixil group listening to translations \u003cbr/\u003e              24. Mid of Rios Montt drinking water \u003cbr/\u003e              25. Cameramen and photographers\u003cbr/\u003e              26. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Efrain Rios Montt, former Guatemalan dictator:\u003cbr/\u003e              \"I declare myself innocent. It was never my intention or my goal to destroy a whole ethnic group.\"\u003cbr/\u003e              27. Rios Montt returning to seat alongside his defense team \u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City - 10 May, 2013\u003cbr/\u003e              28. Exterior of Guatemala's Justice Palace \u003cbr/\u003e              29. Rios Montt sitting in court\u003cbr/\u003e              30. Close of Rios Montt listening to judge reading sentence at his trial \u003cbr/\u003e              FILE: Guatemala City - 5 January, 2015\u003cbr/\u003e              31. Various of Rios Montt covering himself with a sheet while being led to courtroom on a gurney after the tribunal threw out a defence argument that he was too frail to attend retrial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star-half-stroke text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-regular fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt class=\"educator-rating-title\"\u003eEducator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"educator-rating-details\" data-path=\"/educator_ratings/rrp_data?resourceable_id=465422\u0026amp;resourceable_type=Boclips%3A%3AVideoMetadata\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"not-yet-rated\"\u003eNot yet Rated\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eGrade\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd title=\"Grade\"\u003eHigher Ed\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSubjects\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\u0026amp;subject_ids%5B%5D=1216220\"\u003eAll Subjects\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eMedia Type\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=2\u0026amp;type_ids%5B%5D=4543650\"\u003eNews Clips\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSource:\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eDate\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e2018\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-solid fa-language'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eAudiences\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?audience_ids%5B%5D=371079\u0026amp;grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\"\u003eFor Teacher Use\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\u003cdd class=\"text-muted\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-lock mr5\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e2 more...\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='concepts-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='concepts-heading'\u003eConcepts\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list concepts' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='concepts'\u003eronald reagan, central america, crime, north america, social issues, guatemala\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='concepts-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='additional-tags-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='additional-tags-heading'\u003eAdditional Tags\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list keyterms' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='keyterms'\u003earmy, guatemala city, social affairs, war and unrest, united states congress, video, efrain rios montt, feel, law and order, military and defense, armed forces, human rights and civil liberties, legal proceedings, government and politics, latin america and caribbean, massacres, united states government, alfonso portillo, general news, united states, legislature, gerald weller, participation\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='keyterms-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='educator-ratings-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title sr-only' id='educator-ratings-heading'\u003eEducator Ratings\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"all-educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"educator-rating-form-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Show resource details' class='rp-show-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nShow resource details\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Video player' class='player' id='player-wrapper' role='region'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='relative container mx-auto' id='lp-boclips-visitor-thumbnail'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"block\" data-html=\"true\" data-placement=\"bottom\" data-trigger=\"click\" data-content=\"\u003cdiv class=\u0026quot;text-center py-2\u0026quot;\u003e\u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/auth/users/sign_in\u0026quot;\u003eSign in\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold text-danger\u0026quot; data-posthog-event=\u0026quot;Signup: LP Signup Activity\u0026quot; data-posthog-location=\u0026quot;body_link_boclips\u0026quot; data-remote=\u0026quot;true\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/subscription/new\u0026quot;\u003eJoin Now\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\" data-title=\"Get Full Access\" data-container=\"body\" rel=\"popover\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Play video: Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has died\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"resource-img img-thumbnail img-responsive z-10 lp-boclips-thumbnail w-full h-full lozad\" alt=\"Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has died\" title=\"Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has died\" onError=\"handleImageNotLoadedError(this)\" data-default-image=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" data-src=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" width=\"315\" height=\"220\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs\" /\u003e\n\u003cspan aria-hidden='true' class='flex justify-center items-center bg-white rounded-full w-16 h-16 absolute top-1/2 left-1/2 -mt-8 -ml-8 cursor-pointer z-0 border-2 border-primary drop-shadow-md lp-boclips-thumbnail-playBtn'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fa-solid fa-play text-primary text-3xl ml-1 drop-shadow-xl'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n"}