Oliverio Castañeda
Encyclopedia
Oliverio Castañeda de León (October 12, 1955 – October 20, 1978) was a Guatemala
n left-wing oriented student leader, who fought for civil rights
and was assassinated at the age of 23 in Guatemala City
during the regime
of General Romeo Lucas García.
family. He started attending the Department
of Economics
at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
(USAC) in 1975, and became a dynamic member of the Students' Association (Asociación de Estudiantes Universitarios, AEU) of the USAC, to which he was elected secretary general on May 22, 1978. He was highly involved in political activities, and organized many protest marches
against the government in response to state-sponsored human rights
violations. In September 1978 he helped organize a general strike
to protest sharp increases in public transportation fares. The government responded harshly, arresting dozens of protesters and injuring many more. As a result of the campaign, the government agreed to the protesters' demands, including the establishment of a public transportation subsidy
. Fearful that this concession would encourage more protests, the military government, along with state-sponsored paramilitary
death squads, generated an unsafe situation for Castañeda and other public leaders. On October 6, a former directive of the Mail and Telegraph Workers' Syndicate
was assassinated by a death squad.
against 39 citizens was made by the self-proclaimed Anti-Communist Army (Ejército Secreto Anticomunista, ESA), a list including Oliverio Castañeda's name. Due to the recent events, measures had been adopted to protect Castañeda even before these threats. However, he and other leaders decided to participate in the October 20 March.
The march concluded without incidents in the Parque Centenario near the government palace (Palacio Nacional), where Castañeda gave a speech in which he pointed out violations to human rights involving state security forces. The famous final words of his speech, "They can kill our leaders, but as long as there are people, there will be revolution", were tragically visionary. Around 1 p.m., he and a group of students walked away from the park and when they crossed the Sexta Avenida, a major street of Guatemala City, one block away from the Palacio Nacional, several gunshots started, and a man got off a car opening fire with a machine gun
against Castañeda. The latter was reached by a bullet
and fell, and after that another man coming out of another vehicle stopped and gave him the coup de grâce
. The perpetrators left the crime scene without the intervention of any policemen in the surroundings, and Castañeda died shortly after that due to the several lethal wound
s. Other people were injured during the shooting. The finishing shot was an evidence
that Castañeda had been the victim of a deliberate attack, in the same context as other similar cases affecting student leaders, and was linked to a government speech accusing the USAC of subversive activity.
of this crime
, and the lack of investigation from state authorities led the Guatemalan Historical Clarification Commission
(Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico, CEH) to consider Castañeda's death a violation of human rights, and to presume the Intelligence Division of the Estado Mayor Presidencial to be responsible for it.
The Universidad de San Carlos
's students' association was soon after renamed Asociación de Estudiantes Universitarios" Oliverio Castañeda de León".
The segment of the street in which he was killed was renamed "Oliverio Castañeda de León" in his honor in 2003.
30 years after Oliverio Castañeda's murder, the president of Guatemala Alvaro Colom awarded him the country's highest award, the "Orden del Quetzal". The president asked his family for forgiveness on behalf of the Guatemalan government and expressed: "A medal can't bring even a second of his life back, but will serve to give testimony of his life". The award was received by his mother and other members of his family.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n left-wing oriented student leader, who fought for civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and was assassinated at the age of 23 in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
during the regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
of General Romeo Lucas García.
Activism
Castañeda was born in Guatemala City, into a middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
family. He started attending the Department
Academic department
An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level....
of Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
The Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala It is the biggest and oldest university of Guatemala, also it is the fourth founded in the Americas....
(USAC) in 1975, and became a dynamic member of the Students' Association (Asociación de Estudiantes Universitarios, AEU) of the USAC, to which he was elected secretary general on May 22, 1978. He was highly involved in political activities, and organized many protest marches
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
against the government in response to state-sponsored human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations. In September 1978 he helped organize a general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
to protest sharp increases in public transportation fares. The government responded harshly, arresting dozens of protesters and injuring many more. As a result of the campaign, the government agreed to the protesters' demands, including the establishment of a public transportation subsidy
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
. Fearful that this concession would encourage more protests, the military government, along with state-sponsored paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
death squads, generated an unsafe situation for Castañeda and other public leaders. On October 6, a former directive of the Mail and Telegraph Workers' Syndicate
Syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies or entities formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest or in the case of criminals, to engage in organized crime...
was assassinated by a death squad.
Assassination
On October 19, the eve of a traditional march to commemorate the 1944 Revolution, a death threatDeath threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
against 39 citizens was made by the self-proclaimed Anti-Communist Army (Ejército Secreto Anticomunista, ESA), a list including Oliverio Castañeda's name. Due to the recent events, measures had been adopted to protect Castañeda even before these threats. However, he and other leaders decided to participate in the October 20 March.
The march concluded without incidents in the Parque Centenario near the government palace (Palacio Nacional), where Castañeda gave a speech in which he pointed out violations to human rights involving state security forces. The famous final words of his speech, "They can kill our leaders, but as long as there are people, there will be revolution", were tragically visionary. Around 1 p.m., he and a group of students walked away from the park and when they crossed the Sexta Avenida, a major street of Guatemala City, one block away from the Palacio Nacional, several gunshots started, and a man got off a car opening fire with a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
against Castañeda. The latter was reached by a bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
and fell, and after that another man coming out of another vehicle stopped and gave him the coup de grâce
Coup de grâce
The expression coup de grâce means a death blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. The phrase can refer to the killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the consent of the sufferer...
. The perpetrators left the crime scene without the intervention of any policemen in the surroundings, and Castañeda died shortly after that due to the several lethal wound
Wound
A wound is a type of injury in which skin is torn, cut or punctured , or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion . In pathology, it specifically refers to a sharp injury which damages the dermis of the skin.-Open:...
s. Other people were injured during the shooting. The finishing shot was an evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
that Castañeda had been the victim of a deliberate attack, in the same context as other similar cases affecting student leaders, and was linked to a government speech accusing the USAC of subversive activity.
Consequences
The impunityImpunity
Impunity means "exemption from punishment or loss or escape from fines". In the international law of human rights, it refers to the failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and, as such, itself constitutes a denial of the victims' right to justice and redress...
of this crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, and the lack of investigation from state authorities led the Guatemalan Historical Clarification Commission
Historical Clarification Commission
The Historical Clarification Commission was Guatemala's truth and reconciliation commission.The creation of the CEH was ordered by the Oslo Accords of 1994 that sought to bring an end to the Central American nation's three-decade-long Civil War, during which an estimated 200,000 people lost their...
(Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico, CEH) to consider Castañeda's death a violation of human rights, and to presume the Intelligence Division of the Estado Mayor Presidencial to be responsible for it.
The Universidad de San Carlos
Universidad de San Carlos
Universidad de San Carlos may refer to:*University of San Carlos, in Cebu, Philippines*Universidade Federal de São Carlos, in São Carlos, Brazil*University of San Carlos of Guatemala, based in Guatemala City...
's students' association was soon after renamed Asociación de Estudiantes Universitarios" Oliverio Castañeda de León".
The segment of the street in which he was killed was renamed "Oliverio Castañeda de León" in his honor in 2003.
30 years after Oliverio Castañeda's murder, the president of Guatemala Alvaro Colom awarded him the country's highest award, the "Orden del Quetzal". The president asked his family for forgiveness on behalf of the Guatemalan government and expressed: "A medal can't bring even a second of his life back, but will serve to give testimony of his life". The award was received by his mother and other members of his family.