Daniel Rothenberg’s recent article on the U.S. involvement in Guatemala (“The struggle for the truth,” Op-Ed, May 4) reminded me of an incident when I was visiting there with a Witness for Peace group in 1985. We had somehow been granted an audience with the U.S. ambassador, Alberto Piedra, a dapper, wealthy Cuban exile and Reagan supporter.
Two things he told us stuck in my mind: The first was that neither he nor the U.S. government had much concern with the army-sponsored killings and kidnappings that were regular occurrences. The second came as we were leaving and someone asked about the U.S. position on an upcoming election. His reply was that we didn’t get involved, but that if we didn’t like the man who won–he snapped his fingers–he’d be out the next day.
So what’s new?
