KAIBIL

KAIBIL IS THE NAME OF OF A MAM INDIGENOUS LEADER WHO EVADED CAPTURE BY THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS UNDER PEDRO DE ALVARADO.



THE KAIBILES ARE GUATEMALA'S SPECIAL FORCE UNIT. THEY ARE SPECIALIZED IN JUNGLE OPERATIONS. THEIR MOTTO IS "IF I ADVANCE, FOLLOW ME. IF I STOP, URGE ME. IF I RETREAT, KILL ME". ACCORDING TO THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, KAIBIL TRAINING IS DIFFICULT UNDER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PRESSURE. THEY ARE INFAMOUS FOR CUTTING HEADS OFF LIVE CHICKENS BY FORCE. DURING TRAINING, THEY ALSO MUST DRINK RIVER WATER OUT OF A RECENTLY FIRED ARTILLERY SHELL, WITH THE BURNT RESIDUE STILL INSIDE. THEY ARE ALSO TRAINED TO REMOVE A BULLET BY CUTTING THEMSELVES WITH AN "X" TO PULL THE BULLET OUT SO THEY CAN CONTINUE FIGHTING. TRAINING IS TAKEN TWICE A YEAR, FOR 60 DAYS AND NOT OLDER THAN 28 YEARS OF AGE. ONLY 64 PARTICIPANTS ARE ALLOWED TO RECEIVE TRAINING IN EACH PERIOD BUT NO MORE THAN 10 HAVE EVER GRADUATED ON A SINGLE PERIOD.

IN OCTOBER 1982, A GROUP OF GUERRILLAS ATTACKED AND KILLED 21 KAIBILES. ON DECEMBER 4, 58 KAIBILES WERE ORDERED TO REPORT TO THE AREA WHERE THEY WERE ATTACKED. THAT PLACE IS CALLED DOS ERRES AND ITS A VILLAGE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PETEN IN GUATEMALA. KAIBILES ATTACKED ON DECEMBER 6 ANY INHABITANT WHO WERE DRESSED AS GUERRILLA SYMPATHISERS. COMMANDOS ORDERED THEM TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF WEAPONS AND GUERRILLA PROPAGANDA BUT THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THEN THEY SEPARATED THE CHILDREN AND BEGAN KILLING THEM. THIS MASSACRE LASTED UNTIL DECEMBER 8 AND THOSE DAYS ARE KNOWN AS THE "DOS ERES MASSACRE". IN THE YEAR 2000, PRESIDENT ALFONSO PORTILLO CONCURED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MASSACRE. SURVIVORS THEN EARNED $1.82 MILLION USD. AFTER TAT THE GUATEMALAN COMMUNITY HAD ACRIMONY AGAINST THEIR MILITARY AND UP TO NOW, KAIBILES ARE STILL BEING CASTIGATED BECAUSE OF THAT.