One of the most violent periods of the Guatemalan civil war was the government of General Efraín Ríos Montt in the early 1980s, which went down in history with the sad legacy of genocide, large-scale displacement and other war crimes. Most of them have never been investigated or punished. The breakthrough of impunity was the accession of Claudia Paz y Paz to the head of the public prosecutor's office. Trial with Ríos Montt became the most exposed one. Despite the subsequent annulment of the incriminating verdict, this process was an important milestone in Guatemalan justice, but also in international law, contributing several key precedents. Ríos Montt became the first head of state to be convicted of genocide by a domestic tribunal. This work deals with the factors that influenced the war crimes prosecutions after the signing of peace agreements and analyzes the importance of the trial of Ríos Montt in the Guatemalan coming to terms with the past by the state. Key Words Guatemala, Efraín Ríos Montt, genocide, impunity, transitional justice

This dissertation is focused on one of many aspects of religion and politics in Guatemala in recent history (1976-1990). This period is characterized by unequal wealth distribution, ethnic divisions, civil war, and U.S. influence. It is a contemporary mission history examining missionary efforts directed from the United States, Guatemalan responses, and indigenous initiatives. The problem concerns a movement within Protestant evangelicalism, which in this study is called Political Evangelicalism, and its relationship to the counterinsurgency war which the Guatemalan military waged against guerrillas, political opposition, and the Mayan majority. The problem centers on the following interrelated questions: How did Political Evangelicalism appear in Guatemala and how did it develop? How did agents of Political Evangelicalism act? What kind of discourse was employed to legitimize armed and structural violence? What was the relationship between Political Evangelicalism and counterinsurgency strategy? Political Evangelicalism must be reflected through different actors and aspects of Guatemalan conflicts to be understood. Therefore, Political Evangelicalism is placed in the broader context of the Guatemalan situation and its relation to the United States. This is a chronological study describing the role and development of Political Evangelicalism on three levels: the relationship between the United States and Guatemala; Guatemala on the national level; and an in-depth study of the Ixil people. The focal point is on the Guatemalan national level. A wide array of empirical material is employed, including interviews, unpublished documents, official documents, booklets, articles, and so on.