Francisco Villagrán Kramer
Encyclopedia
Francisco Villagrán Kramer (5 April 1927 – 12 July 2011) was a Guatemala
n legal scholar and social democrat who served as vice president
under General Romeo Lucas García beginning in 1978. He resigned from office on 1 September 1980, before his term ended, citing differences with the Lucas administration and disapproval of Guatemala's worsening human rights situation http://www.cidh.oas.org/countryrep/Guatemala81eng/chap.9.htm. He then went into voluntary exile
in the United States
, taking a position in the Legal Department of the Inter-American Development Bank
.
Villagrán has been elected to and served on the Inter-American Juridical Committee of the Organization of American States
(OAS) and on the United Nations
' International Law Commission
. In 1994 he was elected to the Guatemalan Congress
, where he served as president of the Committee on Human Rights.
In 1997, he was nominated for a seat on the OAS's Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
. The nomination raised strong criticism based on the allegation that death squads had been active in Guatemala during his time as vice-president.
Villagrán has authored more than two dozen books and dozens of articles on international law and Guatemalan history and politics. In Biografía Política de Guatemala he describes his involvement with the Lucas administration as a failed attempt to exert a moderating influence on a rightist regime.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n legal scholar and social democrat who served as vice president
Vice President of Guatemala
Vice President of Guatemala is a political position in Guatemala which is since 1966 elected concurrently with the position of President of Guatemala. Latest Vice President who took over as President was Gustavo Espina in 1993....
under General Romeo Lucas García beginning in 1978. He resigned from office on 1 September 1980, before his term ended, citing differences with the Lucas administration and disapproval of Guatemala's worsening human rights situation http://www.cidh.oas.org/countryrep/Guatemala81eng/chap.9.htm. He then went into voluntary exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, taking a position in the Legal Department of the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
.
Villagrán has been elected to and served on the Inter-American Juridical Committee of the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
(OAS) and on the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' International Law Commission
International Law Commission
The International Law Commission was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 for the "promotion of the progressive development of international law and its codification."It holds an annual session at the United Nations Office at Geneva....
. In 1994 he was elected to the Guatemalan Congress
Congress of Guatemala
The Congress of the Republic is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Guatemala.It comprises 158 deputies, who are elected by direct universal suffrage to serve four-year terms . Twenty-nine of these are elected from nationwide lists, with the rest on a district list basis...
, where he served as president of the Committee on Human Rights.
In 1997, he was nominated for a seat on the OAS's Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States .Along with the...
. The nomination raised strong criticism based on the allegation that death squads had been active in Guatemala during his time as vice-president.
Villagrán has authored more than two dozen books and dozens of articles on international law and Guatemalan history and politics. In Biografía Política de Guatemala he describes his involvement with the Lucas administration as a failed attempt to exert a moderating influence on a rightist regime.