Exhuming Evidence of Genocide

“The eyes of the buried will close together on the day of justice, or they will never close.” Miguel Angel Asturias, Guatemalan Nobel Laureate for Literature


One of the most important components of transitional justice in post-conflict societies across the globe and especially in Guatemala is the excavation of victims’ remains. Exhumations are conducted all over the country in order to dig up the bones and clothing of victims of the war. They are held at massacre sites, clandestine graves, and locations where individuals fell victim to war-violence. Exhumations are important for many reasons, namely: 1) to obtain evidence for criminal trials; and 2) to provide family members with both information about their loved ones’ deaths and the remains of the bodies for proper burial. Exhuming remains provides an immense amount of information for lawyers and family members regarding the “who,” “when,” “where,” “how,” and even sometimes “by whom” of the massacre or murder in question. In cases that will potentially be brought to court, exhumation sites are treated as crime scenes (for that reason, I couldn't include the actual site in this set of photos).




Guatemala has one of the most progressive exhumation records worldwide due to international support and a coalition of expert forensic anthropologists who have been working since before the Peace Accords to exhume victims' remains. Not only are they an extremely skilled group of individuals, but incredibly courageous—forensic anthropologists, especially lately, are one of the most threatened groups in Guatemala due to their commitment to exposing crimes of the past that have and will continue to implicate powerful individuals. For more on recent threats against these individuals and orgs, see this recent report by NEAR International.




Last week I accompanied two separate exhumations--one in the village of Coyojá outside of Rabinal, a town with a heartbreaking war history and a progressive human rights community; and the other in Sesimaj, a village near Coban, in the cloud-forested region of Alta Verapaz.
I was able to talk to family members at both exhumations—powerful interviews full of hope for the future, discontent with authority, and relief for the potential outcome of uncovering their loved ones’ remains.

The following photos are from the exhumation in Sesimaj, Alta Verapaz...

After hiking through farm and jungle for half an hour, we turned the corner to see this--it was 8am and there were already over 80 people from surrounding communities gathered around the exhumation site waiting for us to arrive.

The crowd grew over the course of the day to over 200 onlookers--members of the community who most likely witnessed the violence, as well as members of nearby villages who came to find out how they could have an exhumation conducted in their own community

The family of the victim whose remains were being exhumed welcomed us into their home and immediately fed us breakfast before we set out for the site. After the dig, we gathered back at the house again for lunch and debriefing as well as prayer sessions and a moment of silence.

The communities were warm and welcoming--their gratitude for the days' work was overwhelming. And the forensic anthropologists are a fun crowd to roll with—young, underpaid, and meticulous with their work, they’re daring, progressive and idealistic. For me, the exhumations were above all refreshing to be involved with—in a field where discussion and legislation surrounding justice, truth, and reparation seem abstract, and patience is a requirement since outcomes are almost always long-term, exhumations are a rewarding, immediate way to give family members tangible closure and some measure of instant peace after decades of waiting and wondering on the fate of their family members.