Harbury Speaks About Husband, Guatemala

Harvard Law School graduate Jennifer K. Harbury spoke at the University for the first time Monday about her campaign to find her missing husband, a Guatemalan guerrilla leader.

More than 60 students, Faculty and community members gathered in Hauser Hall to hear Harbury recount her 32-day hunger strike in Guatemala City in October 1994. Harbury staged the hunger strike to pressure the Guatemalan government to reveal the fate of her husband, Efrain Bamaca "Everardo" Velasquez.

Everardo disappeared in March 1992 when the guerrilla group he was leading ran into a Guatemalan Army patrol. When captured, Everardo was the highest-ranking member of the military wing of the United Front of Guatemalan Guerrillas (URNG), a Mayan rebel group.

In her talk, Harbury discussed the reasons underlying 35 years of civil war in Guatemala, Everardo's disappearance and her struggle to locate him.

"[There is] no industry in Guatemala, so if you don't own land, you starve," Harbury said. "Guatemala has one of the highest infant mortality rates, second only to Haiti."

"I'm only 5'3", but taller than most Guatemalans due to poor nutrition," she said. "There has been a peasant uprising every generation for 500 years."

Harbury went to Guatemala to monitor human rights abuses in 1985. At the time, the Guatemalan government considered human rights investigations unwelcome foreign intervention and deported activists, Harbury said.

Based on her experiences, Harbury authored "Bridge of Courage: Life stories of the Guatemalan Companeros and Companera," which was published in 1993 by Vehicule Press.

"[Harbury] has a perspective that is important to be expressed on Cen- tral America," said Ames Professor of Law Phillip B. Heymann. "She has a very powerful and important set of viewpoints."

Harbury met Everardo on a mountaintop in Guatemala in 1990 and the couple was married in Austin, Texas, in September 1991.

After spending most of 1991 in Mexico City, Everardo decided to return to Guatemala, Harbury said. "[Everardo] felt he could not live without his companeros," she said.

Everardo was the only person missing after the group of rebels he was leading chanced upon a Guatemalan Army patrol, Harbury said.

At first, Harbury said she accepted the Guatemalan government's claims that Everardo committed suicide to evade capture.

"Because of [Everardo's] position and knowledge, it was logical to commit suicide," she said. "Capture in Guatemala is a terminal event [for a rebel] because no one survives long enough to make it to prison."

Harbury said she became suspicious after examining government autopsy reports.

"The autopsy report from the government was very specific [in describing Everardo's body] except it mentioned no scars," Harbury said. "Everardo was a walking war museum," she said, referring to her husband's multiple war wounds.

Harbury said her suspicions were further confirmed after a former guerrilla captive claimed to have seen Everardo alive in July 1992.

Santiago C. Lopez, a URNG member who served under Everardo, escaped after a year of imprisonment and reported seeing his former commander alive, Harbury said.

"Santiago was part of an experimental program from Argentina where some prisoners of war were selected for special treatment," she said. "[In this program], prisoners were tortured for five to six months to break them psychologically and told if they do not cooperate with the government their entire family will be killed."

Harbury said Santiago was able to escape because his family did not live in Guatemala.

Believing Everardo was being held in a clandestine torture center, Harbury collected letters of protest from members of Congress and human rights groups.

In September 1993 Harbury went on a hunger strike outside the Polytecnica, the Guatemalan equivalent of the Pentagon, to draw attention to Everardo's plight.

"I declared a seven day hunger strike and demanded a fair trial according to the Geneva Convention," she said. "Guatemalans came out in droves to support me with flowers and water."

In October 1994 she staged a second 32-day hunger strike that captured international media attention.

"I thought the peace accord would lead to Everardo's death at Christmas when the peace treaty went into effect," Harbury said. "I went on a hunger strike to the death and was repeatedly harassed by the Guatemalan government trying to get me to pass out so they could get me into a hospital."

On the 32nd day of her hunger strike, the American Embassy in Guatemala issued a demarche in which the U.S. government acknowledged Everardo was captured alive, Harbury said.

"My blood sugar levels were near coma levels and I had one eye closed because I couldn't open it," Harbury said, describing her condition when the demarche was issued.

Harbury then returned to Washington to push for sanctions against the Guatemalan government, but to no avail. During another hunger strike in Washington, D.C. in 1995, Rep. Robert G. Torricelli (D-N.J.) told Harbury that a Guatemalan General on the CIA's payroll ordered Everardo's execution.

Based on documents she obtained, Harbury said she thinks Everardo was tortured for one year, drugged by military doctors and kept in a full body cast to prevent his escape before he was murdered.

Towards the end of her talk, Harbury read from many U.S. government documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and discussed the legal implications of her case using hypothetical situations and rhetorical questions.

"What does national security mean and does it ever justify obstruction of justice and criminal activities," Harbury asked the audience. "Can U.S. officials knowingly and routinely get information extracted from murder and torture?...Can [the U.S.] aid and abet torture and can these decisions be made in Washington and still be constitutional?"

Harbury, who has filed civil rights suits against Guatemala, the CIA, the State Department and the National Security Council, said she still receives death threats. "Now they've gone hi-tech and send [threats] by e-mail."

The 90-minute discussion was sponsored by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.

In the last half hour of the discussion, Harbury fielded questions from the audience on the relationship between the CIA and Harvard, and on U.S. interests in Guatemala.

Harbury's latest book, "Searching for Everardo: A story of love, war, and the CIA in Guatemala," is sold at bookstores in the square. Harbury donates proceeds from its sale to the Everardo Foundation, which she founded to help implement the 1996 Guatemalan Peace Accords

Harbury met Everardo on a mountaintop in Guatemala in 1990 and the couple was married in Austin, Texas, in September 1991.

After spending most of 1991 in Mexico City, Everardo decided to return to Guatemala, Harbury said. "[Everardo] felt he could not live without his companeros," she said.

Everardo was the only person missing after the group of rebels he was leading chanced upon a Guatemalan Army patrol, Harbury said.

At first, Harbury said she accepted the Guatemalan government's claims that Everardo committed suicide to evade capture.

"Because of [Everardo's] position and knowledge, it was logical to commit suicide," she said. "Capture in Guatemala is a terminal event [for a rebel] because no one survives long enough to make it to prison."

Harbury said she became suspicious after examining government autopsy reports.

"The autopsy report from the government was very specific [in describing Everardo's body] except it mentioned no scars," Harbury said. "Everardo was a walking war museum," she said, referring to her husband's multiple war wounds.

Harbury said her suspicions were further confirmed after a former guerrilla captive claimed to have seen Everardo alive in July 1992.

Santiago C. Lopez, a URNG member who served under Everardo, escaped after a year of imprisonment and reported seeing his former commander alive, Harbury said.

"Santiago was part of an experimental program from Argentina where some prisoners of war were selected for special treatment," she said. "[In this program], prisoners were tortured for five to six months to break them psychologically and told if they do not cooperate with the government their entire family will be killed."

Harbury said Santiago was able to escape because his family did not live in Guatemala.

Believing Everardo was being held in a clandestine torture center, Harbury collected letters of protest from members of Congress and human rights groups.

In September 1993 Harbury went on a hunger strike outside the Polytecnica, the Guatemalan equivalent of the Pentagon, to draw attention to Everardo's plight.

"I declared a seven day hunger strike and demanded a fair trial according to the Geneva Convention," she said. "Guatemalans came out in droves to support me with flowers and water."

In October 1994 she staged a second 32-day hunger strike that captured international media attention.

"I thought the peace accord would lead to Everardo's death at Christmas when the peace treaty went into effect," Harbury said. "I went on a hunger strike to the death and was repeatedly harassed by the Guatemalan government trying to get me to pass out so they could get me into a hospital."

On the 32nd day of her hunger strike, the American Embassy in Guatemala issued a demarche in which the U.S. government acknowledged Everardo was captured alive, Harbury said.

"My blood sugar levels were near coma levels and I had one eye closed because I couldn't open it," Harbury said, describing her condition when the demarche was issued.

Harbury then returned to Washington to push for sanctions against the Guatemalan government, but to no avail. During another hunger strike in Washington, D.C. in 1995, Rep. Robert G. Torricelli (D-N.J.) told Harbury that a Guatemalan General on the CIA's payroll ordered Everardo's execution.

Based on documents she obtained, Harbury said she thinks Everardo was tortured for one year, drugged by military doctors and kept in a full body cast to prevent his escape before he was murdered.

Towards the end of her talk, Harbury read from many U.S. government documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and discussed the legal implications of her case using hypothetical situations and rhetorical questions.

"What does national security mean and does it ever justify obstruction of justice and criminal activities," Harbury asked the audience. "Can U.S. officials knowingly and routinely get information extracted from murder and torture?...Can [the U.S.] aid and abet torture and can these decisions be made in Washington and still be constitutional?"

Harbury, who has filed civil rights suits against Guatemala, the CIA, the State Department and the National Security Council, said she still receives death threats. "Now they've gone hi-tech and send [threats] by e-mail."

The 90-minute discussion was sponsored by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.

In the last half hour of the discussion, Harbury fielded questions from the audience on the relationship between the CIA and Harvard, and on U.S. interests in Guatemala.

Harbury's latest book, "Searching for Everardo: A story of love, war, and the CIA in Guatemala," is sold at bookstores in the square. Harbury donates proceeds from its sale to the Everardo Foundation, which she founded to help implement the 1996 Guatemalan Peace Accords