2007-10. Visit to the Forensic Anthropological Foundation

Guatemala City, Guatemala.
October 24, 2007.
Issue: Post-war / Reparations

“Ten years after the signing of the Peace Accords, the search for victims claimed by the Internal Armed Conflict continues throughout the country. Many of those massacred and disappeared were simply piled and dumped in clandestine graves.” (1)

“In its recommendations, the Historic Clarification Commission (CEH) considers the recuperation of human remains through the process of exhumations, as well as the identification of mass graves, as acts of justice and reparation which contribute to the process or reconciliation.” (2)

The Forensic Anthropological Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) is formed in 1992 due to the increasing demands for such activities which aid in the rebuilding process. During its inception, the FAFG began operating with only 7 staff members. Today, more than 85 qualified members are employed by the Foundation. (3)

“Through forensic anthropological investigations, a number of goals are achieved: the recuperation of human remains, establish the identity of a victim when possible, determine the cause of death, and contribute to the justice system by supplying material evidence and expert witness opinions.” (4)

In this image, forensic anthropologist Gillian Fowler describes how abrasions on the vertebrae revealed the cause of death of this victim as decapitation.

Clothes and other possessions found in a mass grave.

From January to June of this year, 228 exhumations have taken place in the departments of Petén, Huehuetenango, Chimaltenango, Baja Verapaz, Alta Verapaz and Quiché. (5)