25
security agents was injured. She paid 8,000 dollars in hospital expenses for
her escort and he will have to have another operation. The people in charge
of her protection do not have adequate equipment or identification. Owing to
the attack, Mrs. Fischer took her daughter out of the country. “[S]he is
depressed that […] all the good people have to leave Guatemala and the bad
people remain living there in complete tranquility.”
The impunity in this case “reveals that it was masterminded by the powers
that have always kept our countries in a state of upheaval.” The Army and the
upper classes in Guatemala have made a “blood-stained agreement” and, as
a result, there is still total impunity in this case. Additionally, Mr. Carpio
Nicolle’s death was a message to let Ramiro de León Carpio know that “it was
the Army that continue[d] to give orders in Guatemala.” The Carpio Arrivillaga
family and Mrs. Fischer have fought for 11 years and, finally, see “a light”
with the proceeding before the Inter-American Court.
The UCN fell apart little by little after Mr. Carpio Nicolle’s death, because he
was its center and driving force. Following his death, no one had strong
enough leadership qualities to replace him and the people who were close to
Mr. Carpio Nicolle abandoned the party. Many party members remained to
continue the struggle, because they hoped that Mrs. Arrivillaga de Carpio
would take up the party reins. However, she did not do so, because, together
with Mrs. Fischer, she devoted herself to the investigation and clarification of
Mr. Carpio Nicolle’s murder. The UCN took part in one election after his death
and, since it did not obtain a certain percentage of the votes, based on
Guatemala legislation, the party was disbanded. However, there was a lack of
organization and prevision in the party. Moreover, “El Gráfico” suffered from
the lack of Mr. Carpio Nicolle’s “driving force” and also from an advertising
boycott by President Arzú. With Mr. Carpio Nicolle’s murder, they also
murdered “El Gráfico” and the UCN.
For 11 years Mrs. Fischer and her children have endured “a nightmare.” Her
two children “come and go; nowadays, they are practically unaware of where
they are and […] this has not been fair.” Mr. Carpio Nicolle meant a great deal
to her children and they had to be treated by psychologists and psychiatrists,
because “they did not have a normal childhood.” Mrs. Fischer had to pay for
the treatment, the doctors’ fees and the medication. Also, she and her
children have suffered social repercussions and been marginalized. She
therefore requests financial reparation for her children Rodrigo and Daniela
Carpio Fischer, who are not with her in Guatemala.
As a result of the investigations in the case, Mrs. Fischer incurred expenses
ranging from photocopies to a trip to San Salvador and another to Costa Rica.
In exile, she had to cover many expenses herself, particularly when “El
Gráfico” started to fail and her former husband stopped child support
payments. Also, as a result of her involvement in the investigation into Mr.
Carpio Nicolle’s death, her professional image in Guatemala has been
adversely affected; however, she considers that nothing can be done in this
regard.
Mr. Carpio Nicolle cannot be brought back to life, but it is important that a
new investigation be conducted and that a public apology be made to the
next of kin of the victims; this should be televised and published in the media.