Lucas Garcia, Manuel Benedicto

Born in the family of a large landowner. Natively belongs to the traditional Guatemalan elite. He graduated from the Polytechnic School (Military Academy) in Guatemala , received an officer rank in the engineering forces. He passed military training in Saint-Cyr as a paratrooper paratrooper ^[1] . He attended courses at the School of the Americas , military universities in Brazil and Chile .

Benedicto Lucas Garcia holds right-wing political views. In 1954, with arms in his hands, he supported the coup of Castillo Armas , the overthrow of the left president Jacobo Arbens . As an officer, then general of the Guatemalan army, Lucas Garcia actively participated in the civil war on the side of anti-communist governments.

In 1978, Romeo Lucas Garcia - the eldest brother of Benedicto Lucas Garcia - was elected President of Guatemala . In 1981, the president appointed his younger brother the chief of the general staff with the rank of brigadier general.

Benedicto Lucas Garcia personally planned and led the army operations ^[2] against the Insurgent Armed Forces and the Partisan Army of the poor (in his opinion, the second structure was better prepared and equipped). He used the technologies of the French army of the times of the Algerian war , studied in Saint-Cyr, and was accused of using “ scorched earth tactics ”.

At the same time, General Lucas Garcia considered it necessary not only anti-guerrilla warfare, but also political measures to gain the support of the population. In the places of hostilities, he organized the construction of roads, bridges, schools, recognized peasant property, and established relations with rural communities.

I wish Guatemala good and love my people.
Benedicto Lucas Garcia ^[3] .

It was Benedicto Lucas Garcia who was the first to initiate the creation of pro-government peasant groups, which subsequently developed into a mass system of Civil Self-Defense Patrols ^[4] . Shortly before his resignation, Romeo Lucas Garcia appointed Benedicto Lucas Garcia Minister of Defense of Guatemala ^[5] .

On March 23, 1982, General Efrain Rios Montt made a military coup. The election results were annulled, and Romeo Lucas Garcia was removed from power. Initially, the brothers tried to resist, but abandoned this intention when the soldiers of Rios Montt took their mother and sister on the sight ^[6] .

Efrain Rios Montt severely criticized the government of Romeo Lucas Garcia for incompetence and corruption, but was ready to leave him at a high military post. Their political views, strategic and tactical vision of the situation coincided in many respects (in particular, this concerned civil self-defense patrols). However, Lucas Garcia rejected the proposals of Rios Montt. Between the generals an exchange of hard remarks took place.

I told him: no. “You will be killed,” he warned. “If you don’t send the killers, I won’t,” I said. He replied: "Never expect this from me."
Benedicto Lucas Garcia ^[7]

In 1983, resigned from active duty.

After Guatemala returned to civilian rule, he took up public politics. In 1990, he ran for president ^[8] , but received a little more than 1% of the vote.

Guatemalan and Spanish human rights defenders, including Rigobert Menchu , demanded that he be prosecuted for war crimes and genocide ^[9] . This issue was raised in 1999 and in 2013 , against the backdrop of the trial of Rios Montt, but was not developed.

He categorically rejects the accusations, although he admits certain military excesses. Responsibility for the brutality of the civil war rests with the partisans. He considers his own actions, government policy and army tactics to be a rebuff to communism.

The author of military-political memoirs. In 2012, he published the Memorias book of memoirs.

• Herman Chupin Baraon
• Jose Luis Kilo Ayuso