General José Efraín Ríos Montt, former dictator of Guatemala, has finally been convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. During the Reagan Administration, our government lent its backing to Rios Montt, providing arms and intelligence to his regime despite copious evidence of human rights abuses.
We owe the Guatemalan people, especially the indigenous Mayans whose communities suffered especially brutal atrocities at his hand, a humble and sincere apology.
We the undersigned therefore request President Obama to issue such an apology, and to begin a thorough review of American involvement in Rios Montt's crimes, including investigations into the individuals and organizations that drove Central American policy during that shameful time.