The World - News from Jan. 31, 1986

Guatemala’s new civilian government will prosecute members of former military regimes suspected of involvement in the disappearances of thousands of political opponents, Interior Minister Juan Jose Rodil Peralta said. “If there exist military personnel guilty of disappearances over the past few years, they will be taken to court, along with any implicated civilians,” Rodil said at a news conference. He vowed to cancel an amnesty decree issued by the former military government. Rodil also acknowledged the presence of secret prisons, which he called “illegal detention centers.” A Guatemalan human rights group says that 38,000 disappeared people are being held as political prisoners.