Abstract

This thesis investigates the varying impacts of transitional justice mechanisms on levels of lethal criminal violence following the Guatemalan Civil War. Although many scholars have researched the Guatemalan Civil War and its impacts on communities throughout Guatemala, the relationship between wartime political violence, transitional justice, and postwar violence remains largely understudied. The violent legacy of the Guatemalan Civil War and the efficacy of transitional justice processes in moderating postwar violence have critical implications for understanding how different justice mechanisms have influenced and can continue to impact levels of violence in postwar societies. This study employs an interdisciplinary approach to process-tracing analysis, drawing from literature from both political scientists and historians, as well as primary source accounts from Guatemalan civilians who witnessed violence during the civil war. This thesis makes several important arguments: that robust truth and reconciliation commissions can decrease criminal violence by demonstrating that the state values accountability, thus deterring violence; that amnesties did not decrease future homicides in Guatemala; and that prosecution for wartime crimes cannot be proven to reduce criminal violence in a politicized environment. However, the potential of these processes to grant justice to victims and establish historical truth should not be understated. This research contributes to an understanding of peace processes necessary to effectively fulfill the responsibility of post-conflict societies to guarantee justice through the protection of human rights.

Advisor

Sene, Ibra

Second Advisor

Krain, Matthew

Department

History; Political Science

Disciplines

International Relations | Latin American History

Keywords

Violence, Political Violence, Guatemala, Civil War, Genocide, Truth Commissions, Prosecution, Amnesty, Transitional Justice, Memory, Maya Identity

Publication Date

2025

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2025 Carter R. Stanley