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U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James B. Foley, Deputy Spokesman
January 25, 1999

Administration Statement on the Myrna Mack Case

Myrna Mack, a well-respected Guatemalan anthropologist and human rights activist was murdered in Guatemala in 1990. In February 1993 her killer was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Her death is still under official Guatemalan investigation. Three current and former high-ranking Guatemalan military officers have been charged by Guatemalan authorities with being the intellectual authors of the crime. A further hearing in their case is expected shortly.

In recent years the U.S. Government has been involved in an exhaustive declassification effort of documents related to Guatemala’s period of internal conflict. Over 7,000 documents related to human rights cases from 1954 to the present have been reviewed and released, including documents concerning this case. The U.S. Government has offered its support and assistance to the victim’s sister, Ms. Helen Mack, in her pursuit of justice. In this spirit, and in order to aid the Mack family and the on-going investigation, we are making the following statement, which is intended to clarify documents already released:

In meetings with Robert O. Weiner and Stuart Weiser, representatives for Helen Mack, authorized United States government officials have confirmed information concerning the September 1990 murder of Myrna Mack, and issues related to the case. U.S. officials have noted that the compilation of data on human rights cases has increased since 1994, and any lack of information on events before that date should not be interpreted as bearing on any conclusion about the identity of any persons or institutions responsible for the Mack murder.

The information provided included the following:

• U.S. Government officials considered it a logical possibility that, if Noel de Jesus Beteta was convicted for the murder of Myrna Mack, Beteta’s then-superiors at the Presidential General Staff (Estado Mayor Presidencial or EMP) would face legal difficulties in regard to the murder if the Guatemalan courts accepted Helen Mack’s evidence about the crime, (i.e., the crime was politically motivated and Beteta was acting under orders).
• The U.S. Government received reports, not evaluated, from individuals in Guatemala that the Intelligence Directorate (D-2) of the Guatemalan Army General Staff and the Presidential General Staff (EMP) were trading charges of institutional involvement in the murder of Myrna Mack and Merida Escobar. For instance, after the arrest of Noel de Jesus Beteta Alvarez, elements in both services attempted to shift the potential blame for these crimes away from their respective institutions and onto the other entity.
• The U.S. Government also received a report, not evaluated, from an individual in Guatemala that Lieutenant Gilardo Neftali Monterrosas Escobar (who at the time was within the D-2 Intelligence Directorate), and Brigadier General Francisco Ortega Menaldo (who at the time was chief of D-2) may have been involved in Myrna Mack’s murder.
• The U.S. Government also received other reports, not evaluated, that an individual known as "El Buky’ allegedly taped conversations with Beteta in which Beteta claimed that a Col. Valencia gave him an order to kill Myrna Mack. Beteta has publicly denied "El Buky’s" allegation.

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