Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores facts for kids

Brigadier General Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores (born December 9, 1930 – died February 1, 2016) was a military leader who became the 27th Head of State of Guatemala. He served in this role from August 8, 1983, to January 14, 1986.

Before becoming president, he was the Minister of Defense. He took power after a change in government, explaining that he wanted to stop problems like corruption. He is known for helping Guatemala move back towards a democratic government. This included holding elections for a special assembly in 1984 and then general elections in 1985.

Guatemala's Path to Democracy

Becoming Leader

On August 8, 1983, General Mejía Víctores took over from the previous leader, Efraín Ríos Montt. Mejía Víctores explained that he acted because he believed the government had issues like corruption.

After this change, Ríos Montt continued to be involved in politics. He later helped start a political party and was elected to Congress.

Steps Towards Elections

Many countries around the world wanted Guatemala to become more democratic. Because of this, General Mejía Víctores began a process to bring democracy back.

First, on July 1, 1984, people voted for representatives to a special group called a Constituent Assembly. This group's job was to write a new constitution for the country.

On May 30, 1985, the Constituent Assembly finished the new constitution. It became law right away. After this, general elections were planned. A civilian candidate, Vinicio Cerezo, was elected president. This marked a return to civilian rule in Guatemala.

Human Rights Concerns

During this time, there were still concerns about human rights in Guatemala. Even as the country moved towards democracy, some problems continued.

In 1983, an important book was published by an indigenous activist named Rigoberta Menchú. Her book, I, Rigoberta Menchú, An Indian Woman in Guatemala, shared her life story and brought a lot of attention to Guatemala. She later won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her work to promote fairness and justice for people. Her story helped people worldwide understand the challenges faced by many in Guatemala.

Reports from human rights groups and the U.S. government noted that while some types of violence in rural areas decreased, other issues, like kidnappings, increased in cities. Many people were taken, including aid workers and political figures.

A U.S. government report from 1986 mentioned that between August 1983 and December 1985, there were many recorded kidnappings. The report suggested that most of these were carried out by security forces and related groups, not by rebel groups.

See also

In Spanish: Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores para niños