Guatemalan Wanted in Mass Murder in 1982 Expelled from Belize: Attorney Says Rights Breached

Alfonso Bulux Vicente

On Wednesday, we reported that Guatemalan fugitive; Alfonso Bulux Vicente was apprehended and taken into custody. Today he was handed over to Guatemalan authorities who had requested his return. Bulux was wanted for the mass killings in December 1982 at Dos Erres, when over two hundred and fifty villagers, including children, were killed. It is unknown for how long he had been living in Belize, but an arrest warrant was issued in May of 2000 for his apprehension. Authorities learned he was in Belize in August when he applied for permanent residency and Guatemalan authorities flagged him as a wanted man for the mass killings. He was handed over to Guatemalan Police at the Western Border, but Attorney Orson told News Five today that Belizean authorities breached his rights.

Orson Elrington

Orson Elrington, Attorney for Alfonso Bulux

“Every person is entitled to what is called due process and whether or not it is an application for extradition or the claim that we just learned today – well, firstly, we were just retained today – but as we learned today after some hours, it was no longer an extradition process but a purported expulsion order.  However, even with an expulsion order it requires the intervention of the courts. We, during the course of the day, in trying to properly legally represent our client, we made inquiries to the Magistrate Court and to this time, we are told that Mr. Vicente never appeared before a Magistrate’s Court in this matter. So we are perplexed as to under which authority, under which order from which court the Police handed over Mr. Vicente because to our knowledge, there is no order form no court to either expel or to, most certainly, expedite Mr. Vicente.”