This Monday, August 19, the trial against four retired military personnel continued in the Fifth Criminal Sentencing Court.
They are Juan Parachico Sanchez, Ernesto Martinez Agustin, Mynor de Jesus Barrientos and Telesforo Ramirez Lopez, who are accused of terrorism, plundering of cultural property and attack.
The four are believed to be involved in riots in the Congress of the Republic on October 19, 2021, when a group of military veterans protested to demand that the deputies approve a payment of Q120,000 as compensation for their services during the internal armed conflict in the country.
At Monday’s hearing, a congressional employee testified as a witness in the case and indicated that on the day of the incidents he was attacked by a group of people who were apparently protesters.
He added that he was attacked with sticks and suffered bruises on different parts of his body.
He recalled that together with other colleagues he left the parliamentary building to walk through the streets near it, but in the surroundings the protesters were held back by police; however, the officers were at a disadvantage due to the number of protesters.
This caused the police to withdraw from the area where the Congress employees were moving and they were left exposed to the actions of the mob.
The witness, according to his account, was intercepted and thrown against a shutter; the protesters even mistook him for a deputy.
The next hearing is scheduled for August 28 and the sentence could be handed down on September 2.
On the day of the demonstration, the legislature had called the parliamentarians to an ordinary session in which the issue of the former military officers’ demand would possibly be discussed; however, this did not take place because there was not the necessary quorum.
Several deputies indicated that their absence was a precautionary measure following the announcement of the demonstrations.
To see more: Photos and videos: this is how the Congress of the Republic looked after the riots caused by military veterans
When the session was not held, military veterans forcibly entered the building of the Congress of the Republic, damaged one of the access doors, and several vehicles and offices were set on fire.
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