Guerra y posconflicto en Guatemala: búsqueda de justicia antes y después de los acuerdos de paz

Abstract

This article argues that the recent achievements in this field were possible by several institutional changes over time which provided some degree of access to political and legal opportunities. By suggesting that the mobilization of civil society groups has been the driving factor behind the progress of legal justice in post-war Guatemala. A review of the oral and documental sources allows tracking some transformations, before and after, the peace agreements, which favored or inhibited the attribution of criminal responsibility for serious human rights violations committed during the war period. These changes in the political sphere, or resulting from the interaction between pro-justice advocates and their particular context, have enabled the legal activist community to position themselves as crucial stakeholders in the peacebuilding process. In addition, it has allowed them to play a prominent role in the activation of justice through judicialization strategies in this post-conflict period.