Out now in documentary form,
The Art of Political Murder presents a riveting narrative reconstruction of one of Latin America’s most controversial and bizarre criminal cases: the killing of Guatemala’s great human rights champion, Bishop Juan Gerardi.December 23, 2020
Bishop Juan Gerardi was savagely murdered on April 26, 1998, two days after presenting the Recovery of Historical Memory Project (REMHI), the Guatemalan Catholic Church’s report recounting the atrocities committed by the Guatemalan Army during its 36-year armed conflict. The 78-year old bishop, who led the unprecedented effort of collecting war testimonies, was bludgeoned in the head and face with a concrete slab outside his parish home in Guatemala City’s Zona 1. A grief-stricken nation mourned his loss as a direct affront to an incipient democracy, still unfamiliar with justice after a blanket amnesty left all those involved in civil war-era crimes unpunished.
“The Art of Political Murder” – Well crafted [MOVIE REVIEW]
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Protestors march against the assassination of Bishop Gerardi. Photo courtesy of HBO
“The Art of Political Murder,” directed by Paul Taylor, based on Francisco Goldman’s book of the same name, is filmmaking in its highest form. This documentary will leave you breathless from the breadth and depth of its storytelling. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is life-changing, revealing unheard of cruelty as well as unbelievable bravery.
Guatemala endured a civil war from 1960 until 1996 led by its right wing military dictatorship against various leftist rebel groups supported by Mayan and Ladino peasants. Most of the military aggression was centered on the indigenous people and over 200,000 were killed or “disappeared.” Worth noting, although not mentioned in the film, the fervent anti-communism of the military government was supported financially by the United States throughout the war. It was a U.
Copy to Clipboard The Art of Political Murder (HBO)
In April 1998, Bishop Juan Gerardi was attacked in his garage and beaten to death. The human rights activist had presented a report that outlined the atrocities of the army in the wake of the Guatemalan Civil War. Three army officers – Colonel Byron Disrael Lima Estrada and Captain Byron Lima Oliva (who were father and son), and José Obdulio Villanueva – were convicted of Gerardi s murder in 2001 and sentenced to 30-year prison terms.
Bishop Geraldi had long been an advocate for the indigenous Mayans of the country and played a major role in getting indigenous languages recognized as official languages in Guatemala. HBO s latest documentary, The Art of Political Murder chronicles the investigation into Bishop Gerardi s murder, highlighting the team of young investigators who take on the case and begin to unearth deception, misconduct, and corruption that reach the highest levels of government. Read on to know more abou