The Art of Political Murder

Francisco Goldman

In April 1998 bishop and human rights activist Monsignor Juan José Gerardi Conedera was bludgeoned to death with a concrete slab in the garage of his house in Guatemala City. Thomas Jones wrote (LRB 23 October 2008): ‘Goldman’s book is described on its jacket as belonging to the genre of ‘true crime’. But that somewhat demeaning classification can’t begin to encompass its scope. He provides not only a measured and compelling account of the murder, its investigation and aftermath, but also a rich and detailed portrait of the country where it happened. Taking the bishop’s killing as his starting point, Goldman plots its causes and repercussions through all sectors and echelons of Guatemalan society, from the president to the rough sleepers on the steps of the church. He marshals a phenomenal amount of information – names, dates, acronyms, conflicting accounts of uncertain events – without ever becoming either boring or confusing … He isn’t short of impressive set pieces, either, providing vivid descriptions of such events as the opening of the bishop’s tomb for a second autopsy, or a grisly battle between rival prison gangs.’

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