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Description
An armed soldier rests his right leg on a tree while he patrols a mountainous terrain near Zaragoza, Chimaltenango. Behind him there is a soldier leaning on a tree. In the background of the image there are three other soldiers standing. They are searching for guerillas. They are all armed with IMI Galil rifles of Israeli origin. Most soldiers forced to patrol as part of the "Patrol of Self-Defense" program in the 1980s were Mayan men. Patrols were used by the military to destroy civil organizing and to control any political networks of rural Mayans. The UN-administered Truth Commission, known as the Commission of Historical Clarification documented more tan 600 massacres committed by government forces against civilians in predominately Mayan areas between 1981 and 1983. Un soldado armado descansa su pierna izquierda sobre un árbol mientras patrulla un terreno boscoso cerca de Zaragoza, Chimaltenango. Detrás de él se observa a otro soldado recargado sobre un árbol. Al fondo de la imagen se observa a tres soldados parados. Ellos andan en busca de guerrilleros. Todos portan fusiles IMI Galil de origen israelí. La mayoría de los soldados obligados a patrullar como parte del programa "Patrulla de Autodefensa" en los ochenta eran hombres mayas. Las patrullas fueron utilizadas por los militares para destruir la organización civil y controlar a cualquier red política de los mayas rurales. La comisión de la verdad administrada por la ONU, conocida como la Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico, documentó más de 600 masacres cometidas por fuerzas gubernamentales contra civiles en áreas predominantemente mayas entre 1981 y 1983.
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