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WORLD NEWS Saturday 26 September 2020
Push within El Salvador to advance priest massacre case

By MARCOS ALEMAN "It looks more like a com-
Associated Press plicit court with the goal
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador of protecting people ac-
(AP) — For years, attempts cused of being war crimi-
within El Salvador to inves- nals," Baulenas said. "We
tigate and prosecute the see it as a threat in the
masterminds of a massa- sense that there appears
cre of six Jesuit priests dur- to be complicity with those
ing that country's civil war being processed."
have been delayed and Current President Nayib
deflected by legal maneu- Bukele's office did not im-
vers. mediately respond to a
The sentencing of former request for comment.
Salvadoran colonel Ino- Late Thursday, Bukele an-
cente Orlando Montano nounced that he was de-
to 133 years in prison by a classifying the archives of
Spanish court earlier this another civil war atrocity,
month in relation to the the El Mozote massacre, in
case is raising calls once which soldiers killed near-
again for El Salvador to ly 1,000 people in a rural
deal with this dark chapter community in 1981.
in its history. The Spanish court that
Arnau Baulenas, a lawyer In this Nov. 15, 2008 file photo, people hold banners depicting six Jesuit priests massacred in 1989, sentenced Montano for
with the Human Rights In- during a memorial to mark the 19th anniversary of their death, in San Salvador. the priests' killings called it
stitute at Central American Associated Press "state terrorism" carried out
University — a school run by powerful interests, in-
by the Jesuits and the site gave the orders and who six priests — five Spaniards ing the amnesty. After the cluding Cristiani, aimed at
of the 1989 murders — said knew about them. and one Salvadoran — Supreme Court found the "holding onto their positions
Montano's conviction and The question of whether to their housekeeper and the amnesty unconstitutional, of privilege within the pow-
sentence in Spain showed reopen the case remains housekeeper's daughter a judge ordered one of er structures." Cristiani has
that the orders came from stalled in the Supreme in the priests' campus resi- those officers, Col. Guill- denied any involvement
high up. He blames a lack Court's criminal chamber. dence. They tried to make ermo Benavides, back to or knowledge of the plan
of political will and resis- A lower court had ruled the massacre appear as prison where he remains. to kill the priests. Attempts
tance within El Salvador's that an investigation into though it had been carried Baulenas said authorities to reach him for comment
justice system for being un- the involvement of a group out by leftist guerillas. The in El Salvador continue were not successful.
able to achieve similar out- of military officers and ex- killings sparked internation- to resist efforts to deter- "The truth has to be known
comes there. President Alfredo Cristiani al outrage. mine who was involved in and I would ask ex-Presi-
Since El Salvador's Supreme could go ahead. But the Nine members of the mili- planning the murders. He dent Cristiani that if he has
Court declared the 1993 officers appealed and tary were initially put on said the university wants nothing to hide, why not
amnesty established after the case made it to the trial, but the court ab- to know what Cristiani, as come to the court and tell
the war unconstitutional in Supreme Court last year solved seven of them. Two president and commander the truth," Baulenas said.
2016, Baulenas has been where it sits today. officers served short sen- in chief of the military at the "But it seems he has al-
fighting to reopen the case On Nov. 16, 1989, an elite tences in El Salvador, but time, knew about the plan ways hidden behind the
and go after those who commando unit killed the were released in 1993 dur- to murder the priests. military."q

London officer shot dead while detaining suspect at station

LONDON (AP) — A Brit- rorism. Naseem, said the suspect
ish police officer was shot Metropolitan Police Com- had been arrested for pos-
dead inside a London po- missioner Cressida Dick said session of drugs and pos-
lice station early Friday by a "early indications are that session of ammunition and
suspect he was detaining, the suspect shot himself." taken to the holding facil-
who then appears to have Dick said Ratana, originally ity in a police vehicle. He
turned the gun on himself. from New Zealand, had was handcuffed behind
Investigators said the sus- been in the police force for his back when shots were
pect was handcuffed at almost 30 years and leaves fired, "resulting in the fatal
the time. a partner and an adult son. injuries to the officer and
London's Metropolitan Po- "We are all deeply shocked critical injuries to the man."
lice force said Sgt. Matiu and saddened.," she said. "A non-police issue firearm,
Ratana, 54, was shot at the "The Met is a family. Policing which appears to be a re-
Croydon Custody Center in is a family, within London volver, has been recov-
the south of the city just af- and across the United King- ered from the scene," Nas-
ter 2 a.m. He was taken to dom, and today we are all eem said.
a local hospital where he mourning a great loss." Prime Minister Boris Johnson A police officer stands outside Croydon Custody Centre where
a police officer was shot in the early hours of Friday, Sept. 25,
was pronounced dead. The force has launched a and other senior politicians 2020, in Croydon, England.
The 23-year-old man being murder inquiry. Watchdog expressed shock at Friday's Associated Press
detained is in critical con- body the Independent Of- death. "We owe a huge
dition in a hospital with a fice for Police Conduct is debt to those who risk their London Mayor Sadiq Khan ficer, who has paid the ul-
gunshot wound. The case also investigating. own lives to keep us safe," said, "My heart goes out to timate price for helping to
is not being treated as ter- Its regional director, Sal Johnson said. the family of this brave of- keep Londoners safe."q