Preventive Penal Law Against Communism
1954 Guatemalan decree
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The Preventive Penal Law Against Communism ( Spanish : Ley Preventiva Penal Contra el Comunismo ) was a Guatemalan decree passed by the military junta of Carlos Castillo Armas on 24 August 1954. The decree was preceded by the formation of the National Committee of Defense Against Communism . The Preventive Penal Law Against Communism officially prohibited any kind of communist activity and established a blacklist of active communists.
Around 70,000 Guatemalans engaging or suspected of engaging in communist activities were blacklisted under the law. Another 8,000 were arrested, and an estimated 8,000-10,000 were forced into exile. [1] This decree was also used to suspend habeas corpus .
References
- ↑ Hey, Hilde (1995). Gross Human Rights Violations: A Search for Causes : A Study of Guatemala and Costa Rica . The Hague, The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (Klower Law International). p. 34. ISBN 978-90-411-0146-4 .
See also