Customer Reviews

The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

read Frank Goldman's book, The Art of Political Murder. Even if you are not interested in Central American politics, this is still a page turner. Unlike scores of other journalists who parachuted into Central America over the past 25 years to get the scoop and then go on to the next newsworthy story somewhere else, Frank Goldman's seven-year quest for the truth behind the murder of Guatemalan Archbishop Gerardi deserves kudos for its indefatigable research as well as his ability to spin a yarn, albeit one that sadly is true, that one simply cannot put down. And even those well-versed in the brutality of Guatemala's history of military rule -- whether by decree or by civilian proxy -- will be riveted by the seamless tale that Frank Goldman expertly tells. Read it and weep.

Francisco Goldman has written a brilliant non-fiction account of the 1998 murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi and the ensuing investigation and trial of the persons responsible for the crime: a conservative closeted homosexual priest who was sharing the parish house with the bishop, and several military officers with the Presidential Military Staff (Estado Mayor Presidencial--EMP) who are also linked to organized crime.

At the heart of Goldman's story is the account of how a group of human rights investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and judges, a small circle of whom jokingly referred to themselves as Los Intocables--The Untouchables-- pursued justice despite the onslaught of violence, threats, slander and condemnation hurled at them from virtually every direction: the military, politicians, defense lawyers, the press, even respected Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa. One lost his brother to an unspeakably vicious death. Several had their homes bombed, or were forced into exile when military thugs followed their children to school to let them know how easy it would be to kill them. All endured countless death threats that they never disclosed to Goldman personally, out of an intrinsic sense of honor (he learned of the threats from other investigators, or by reading documents related to the case). But these people were true believers that justice had to be done, despite the cynicism of most of their countrymen. The story of that courage, plus the marvelous depictions of the inimitable characters involved, from ex-army street hustlers to inhabitants of Guatemala's gay demimonde, as well as an informed and daunting portrait of where Guatemala stands today--a country where criminal mafias led by military chieftains vie for control of the insanely lucrative narcotics, human trafficking, car theft and kidnapping rackets, and where "the line between crime and politics can be so fine as to not even exist"--and a clear-eyed analysis of the "schizophrenic" role of the United States in both some of the most galling and the most inspiring episodes in that country's recent history, make this a book that is simply too good to miss.

It also couldn't be more timely. It was hoped that continuing investigation would pursue other officers believed to be linked to the murder, including General Otto Pérez Molina--now a candidate for president of Guatemala, who is facing center-left businessman Álvaro Colom in a runoff scheduled for November 4th. If he is elected, as is expected--the general has received a baffling nod of approval from our own embassy, due to his impeccable anti-Chávez credentials (better a killer and a narco than a leftist, one assumes)--this path to justice will get closed for good, unless the U.N. Commission for the Investigation of Illegal Bodies and Clandestine Security Apparatus (CICIACS) enters the fray with the authority it deserves.

All of which is detailed in this terific book. Buy it, read it, talk about it, share it.

The reviews here seem to fall into 3 camps: the "it's a perfect masterpiece"" camp, the "he was duped by ODHA - 'who killed the bishop' got it right" camp, and the "he is a lefist fool" camp. I belong to none of these, so let me throw my two cents in here....

I spent a brief time in Guatemala doing human rights work in the mid 80's (a shout out to any PBI alums in the house :)), and so was interested in the subject matter, and had at least a glancing acquaintance with the horrid murderous travesty that was the Guatemalan government, as well as the impenetrable fog of denials, mis-statements, forgeries, violence, hidden agendas, disappearances and murk that hid virtually any attempt to get at any truth.

I found the first half of the book (which focuses on the "who-done-it") outstanding. Here Goldman relates the story of the investigation - the false leads, the disappearing witnesses, the hopelessly (and deliberately) contaminated crime scene, the (deliberately) conflicting evidence, the overlapping areas (and agendas) of the investigators, etc. That the investigators were able to finally pierce it (not completely, but most crimes never are) is just amazing, especially given the very real threat to themselves and their families.

I think the other reviewers who criticize this book for not analyzing the case for/against Monsenor Mario, or for not analyzing the case made by 'who killed the bishop' are being unfair - goldman spends a _lot_ of time on each of these, especially the latter, to the point that you could almost criticize the book for over-focusing on it. Similarly, I think criticizing the book for not telling more of the story of the defendants is ludicrous - when your primary interactions with a defendant consist of their giving you death threats, it's hard to go much further!

The problem with the book lies in the second half, what is called the "second crime" - the multi-year "war of attrition" against the verdict, year after year of judicial games, wars in the press, maneuver after maneuver. Here, while I appreciate the author's work in showing us just how deeply broken the justice system and press were (and are), I just felt the book became a less interesting read - we know who done it, we know why, now we read chapter after chapter of frustration (although it sure made me glad I've never been a guest of the Guatemalan Penal system!). One last cavil - another reviewer says that Goldman never walks us through the final 'best guess' of the final crime, minute by minute - oh yes he does, it's near the end.

So in summary - a good book, an important book, a book alternately deeply depressing and deeply inspiring, but not a great _read_, the only reason I am marking it down a little.

This is a courageous book, one that exposes the state sponsored terriorism that led to about 200,000 deaths or disappearances in Guatemala in the 80s and 90s. It does so by focusing on one case, the murder of Bishop Juan Girardi in April 1998, just after he had published Guatemala: Never Again a report on the genocide.

Goldman details the murder and the trial in great detail, and very effectively conveys the sense of living in such an awful time and place. He does a good job of sorting out the story and getting at what really happened, but with this case and in this time that requires some digging. Goldman needs to go over the crime scene several times to get through the layers as witnesses/accomplices change their stories or the evidence rules out some explainations.

For example, while I thought Goldman spent too much time discrediting the perfectly ridiculous explaination that a dog had caused the crime, in doing so he shows the extent to which the military was in control of the courts. The charge was taken seriously enough for the court to order Bishop Girardi's body exhumed to check for bite marks.

The book works on many levels, including that of a suspenseful murder story and an important work of recent Latin American history. Goldman very effectively conveys the sense of terror for witnesses and civilians in such a country where the military is at war with its population.

I was pretty enthusiastic about this book, having written the title down upon release, and after seeing it on several best of 07 lists. All in all, the read was informative and - at times - interesting; but, I also found myself wading through the final two of the book's four sections wondering about the book's length and organization and the author's approach.

Goldman had excellent access to some of the key players in the trial, though it was almost exclusively through connections to a human rights NGO (ODHA) that was investigating and serving as co-plaintiff in the case.

Another reviewer seems to imply that Goldman has an agenda, or an axe to grind - I don't know. But, it is obvious from very early on in the book - in spite of some cursory effort to explore an alternative scenario - that Goldman believes that the Guatemalan army and military intelligence infrastructure were responsible for the murder of Bishop Gerardi. He may think that conclusion is valid based on his own investigation, on witnessing the trial, or by having access to ODHA's evidence and investigative records, and he may be right. But, it doesn't leave for much in the way of development or intrigue.

In spite of some good, fluid writing, I found the pacing choppy and I longed for Goldman to show more of a novelist's eye for character development. The characters reflected very little complex humanity - instead becoming a sum of their relationships, avocations, affiliations and possessions. And, in failing to gain any access to the defendants he focuses on almost exclusively, Goldman bakes what turns out to be only half a pie. It is clear he considers the father/son team tried for the crime to be reprobates and even monsters - but part of the story is in getting to know the monster, a la "Helter Skelter," and - in fiction - "Silence of the Lambs." Also, I was amazed to find early on in the book that a junior priest - Father Mario - who served in the same parish and lived in the same house as the murdered Bishop Gerardi was a co-defendant in the murder. With the priest spending the next several years in prison awaiting trial, Goldman spends almost as much time examining Father Mario's dog, Baloo (also a suspect), as he does exploring and developing the priest's character.

Goldman essentially spends the book's first two parts describing ODHA's case and how it built it. Here is the informative part. I think a lot of Americans who are not oriented toward Latin American politics will be shocked to read some of the historical record compiled in Bishop Gerardi's REMHI report - the document that Goldman implies ultimately leads to the Bishop's murder. There is also some interesting anecdotal stuff about government roadblocks put in the way of the investigation, violence and threats against those running and cooperating with it, and - as above - some examination of alternate theories of the crime.

But, that is partly the problem, the information is largely anecdotal. Neither Goldman nor ODHA seem to have any hard evidence of the crime to rely on, and even in Goldman's own subsequent interviews with witnesses living in protective refuge abroad, no clear picture of the crime emerges.

The book really bogs down in its third and fourth sections, where some of the key characters and witnesses are followed in their post-trial travails, and appeals are heard. Here, the book feels overlong and poorly organized as a lot of this info could have found a home in plumping up the pre-trial narrative.

I think Goldman has written an important book, and undoubtedly a somewhat controversial one. It is packaged very well for the American true crime reader. But, the book never intends to deliver on that level. Part of that is a reflection on precisely the mess in Guatemala that Goldman is recounting, but part of it is a reflection on Goldman's own emphasis on not just telling a story, but on telling ODHA's story.

I can't judge whether that was a worthwhile or correct choice for Goldman to make, given the compelling social purpose the book serves and its political context, but I can say that it made the book somewhat less enjoyable for me.

JAW

I was really conflicted about this book. The best way to describe it is that it's a screed, albeit an interesting and educational one. A Guatemalan bishop is murdered days after the Catholic Church's report (which he was a primary author of) on Guatemalan military murders was released. This book follows the Church's lawyers as they, in concert with the state attorneys, prosecute several military officers along with another priest.

Reading reviews after the fact, this book is apparently a response to another book, written by local authors, alleging that the Catholic Church vindictively went after the military officers and ignored evidence implicating a local gang. Just based on the mountains of evidence of military involvement in completely unrelated murders, I tend to believe this account, but the obvious bias, and lack of even-handedness, means I don't have a complete understanding of this case.

Also, this book really danced around the topic of the other priest's (Father Mario) involvement, and why he was prosecuted for the crime. Ostensibly, this is because Father Mario was gay, and the author didn't want to drag his name through the mud, but this is a gaping hole in the narrative.

All of that said, I did learn a lot about modern Guatemalan history and culture. This book has redeeming qualities but could have been a lot better.

Oscar Romero wasn't the only bishop of the Roman Catholic Church murdered by those most likely working for the entrenched oligarchy in modern Central America. But while Romero was killed while saying Mass in San Salvador, a shocking event that drew headlines around the world, Bishop Juan Gerardi was beaten and left for dead on the floor of his garage. A group of dedicated and courageous young men and women, realizing that the crime would go not only unpunished but would be barely investigated by the police, decided to solve it themselves. This lead them into a shadowy world of vicious street gangs, corrupt police and military leadership and shocking revelations about how post-civil war Guatemala is really run.

This book is outstanding, it tells a fascinating real story and it reads like a murder mystery. I read it in less than 48 hours because I couldn't put it down.

I couldn't put this book down! Francisco Goldman is a master storyteller. He handles this complex story with humanity, compassion, clarity, and insight.

The story was especially riveting for me as I have been to Guatemala. It's perhaps not the best book for someone who has zero interest in Central America or in issues of justice. On the other hand, it's so well written that I think it would be interesting to many readers anyway!

For folks who enjoy a real-life murder mystery, and particularly for those interested in justice issues, this book is a gem.

This work does honor to the memory of Bishop Gerardi, a beloved and courageous man who was assassinated for telling the truth.

This review is for the Grove Press hardcover first edition, January 1, 2007, 357 pages of narrative plus appendices. THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER is not listed on the USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling books.

This book details the murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi in Guatemala in April 1998 and the ensuing nine years of investigation and prosecution of persons complicit in the killing. The author, a journalist born in Guatemala but working in New York, also wrote three novels. THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER reads like, and is as engaging as, a mystery thriller. But the characters, plot, twists, intrigues and horrors were provided by the Guatemalan oligarchy, not the author's imagination.

The bishop's murder appears to be in retaliation for the publication of the REMHI report, the result of the Archdiocese survey of atrocities committed by the Guatemalan Army during the 36 years of internal war. But a smokescreen of alternative motives emerges along with the intimidation of witnesses, lawyers, prosecutors and judges, forcing many of them to flee the country.

Goldman weaves an easily understandable narrative and structure for the nearly 200 named players in these intrigues. For easy reference, appendices provide a list of the primary persons involved, a timeline, the author's sources and notes and an index with page references for all individuals mentioned.

THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER vividly portrays army officers accustomed to impunity, judicial officials fearful for their families and the terrified, street-smart indigents who know what really happened to the bishop. In relating the arrogance and fears of the adversaries, Goldman enlightens us on the long conflict between the wealthy Guatemalan oligarchy and most everyone else in a country where the army directly or indirectly controlled the government for decades. As a bonus, read this book to understand why President Bill Clinton, in February 1999, apologized to the Guatemalan people for the United States having supported the Guatemalan Army during the past fifty years.