Sisniega Otero, Lionel

He graduated from the University of San Carlos . He received a law degree, but never worked in this specialty ^[1] . He was distinguished by his extreme right-wing views, participated in the student anti-communist movement, at the age of 23 he joined the Party of Anti-Communist Unity . He was engaged in political journalism.

Lionel Sisniega Otero was an opponent of the leftist governments of Jose Arevalo and Jacobo Arbenz . In 1951, he led the Anti-Communist Committee of University Students of Guatemala , organized the underground radio station La Voz de la Liberación - Voice of Liberation ^[2] . In 1954 he participated in the coup of Castillo Armas . He was deputy minister of education in his government.

After the assassination, Castillo Armas led the press service of President Idigoras Fuentes . Together with Mario Sandoval Alarcon created the National Liberation Movement ( MLN ). He was in the MLN second person after Sandoval Alarcon. He acted as a party ideologist, was fond of the ideas of Franco and Primo de Rivera . He oversaw the party’s relations with affiliated organizations - the Guatemalan Committee of Anti-Communist Resistance , the Guatemalan Anti-Communist Council , and the New Anti-Communist Organization . Headed the National Anti-Communist Federation .

Since 1966, Lionel Sisniega Otero led a paramilitary organization such as the " death squad " Mano Blanca . Under his political leadership, violent actions were carried out against communists , left activists, trade union functionaries, peasants suspected of collaborating with the partisan movement . Like Sandowal Alarcon, Sisniega Otero actively participated in the activities of the WACL ^[3] . He was accused of organizing a series of political killings ^[4] , but was never brought to justice.

The shadow of Padrino Miko (The Godfather of the Monkey ) - Mario Sandoval Alarcon, leader of the National Liberation Movement, has constantly hung over the country. The personal secretary of Castillo Armas did not hesitate to be called a fascist . And next to the poster mafia, Lionel Sisniega Otero, too, was an extremely colorful type. An absolutely botanical journalist was the leader of the White Hand death squad. All field work — the street executions of Marxists , the protection of coffee plantations, the receipt of dough from plantation workers — rested on this “nerd” ^[5] .

In 1978 - 1982 - the period when Sandoval Valarcon served as vice president - Sisniega Otero was again Deputy Minister of Education of Guatemala.

Lionel Sisnyega never distanced himself from politics, although his method cannot be called orthodox legal. More than once, he promoted a military coup or advised the military on how to make a coup. When a coup failed, he said among close friends: “If I participated in the conspiracy, we would be in the palace” ^[6] .

In the 1982 election, Cisniega Otero ran for vice president in tandem with Sandoval Alarcon. Voting results were void as falsified. On March 23, 1982, Sisniega Otero took an active part in the military coup that brought Efrain Rios Montt to power. It was he who made a public statement on the change of power in the country:

Faced with a political, social and economic crisis, the army decided to return Guatemala to the path of genuine democracy.

In his anti-communist policies, Rios Montt did not rely on MLN and Mano Blanca, but on the massive rural patrol movement . Under these conditions, the political influence of MLN began to decline. Complications arose between Rios Montt and Sandoval Alarcon. Sisniega Otero took the side of the first and left the MLN in 1983 , creating a new Party of Anti-Communist Unity , loyal to Rios Montt.

He strongly supported the patroller movement as "defending the Guatemalans." He acted as the ideologist of " Riosmontism ." Responsibility for the civil war Sisnyega Otero rested entirely with the Communist rebels ^[7] .

In 1995, Lionel Sisniega Otera ran for president from the Nationalist Center , but gathered a small number of votes (less than 0.4%) - Guatemalan society rejected politicians associated with the civil war. He remained an adherent of Sandoval Alarcon and Rios Montt (despite the difficult relationship between them).

He was engaged in political journalism, acted as a columnist for right-wing publications. On social issues, Sisniega Otero spoke out in the sense that inequality should be overcome by economic progress, and not by redistribution of property.

Lionel Sisniega Otero maintained close ties with the Civil War Veterans Association ( Avemilgua ), created by retired military and patroller. In 2007 - 2008, he took part in the creation of the National Convergence Front ( FCN ) party and was considered as a potential presidential candidate from FCN ^[8] .

Lionel Sisniega Otero passed away at the age of 87. He was buried near the grave of Sandoval Alarcon.

A left-wing and liberal public views Sisniega Otero as an ultra-right terrorist. However, many Guatemalans consider his activity justified by historical conditions and pay tribute to the firmness of his convictions.

To such leaders as Sisnyega Otero, we owe that Guatemala did not fall into the hands of communism, did not become Cuba or Nicaragua ... It should be noted that Sisnyega and MLN are another political generation. They were inspired by values, principles, political philosophy. Now politicians are changing ideas like lingerie. Then - sincerely believed in their beliefs and sincerely fought for them ^[9] .

• Roberto tieme
• Valdemar Paradela di Abreu
• Hector Antonio Regalado
• Miguel Sofia Abeleira

• Mikhail Kedrin . Mound of Central America