The following information on the Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (Organización Revolucionaria del Pueblo en Armas, ORPA) is in addition to that in GTM12913 of 28 January 1993, GTM28202.F of 4 November 1997, GTM32112.E of 30 June 1999 and GTM32484.FE of 27 August 1999.

Several sources report that ORPA, one of four rebel components in the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG), officially dissolved itself on 22 March 1997 (Central America Update 22-28 Mar. 1997; Guatemala News Watch Mar. 1997; La Prensa 24 Mar. 1997). It was the last of the URNG rebel groups to officially disband (Central America Update 22-28 Mar. 1997).

In December 1998, a Central America Report article stated that there was speculation by the local press that an armed organization operating in the southern part of Quetzaltenango and calling itself the People's Rebel Front (FRP) may have been an ORPA splinter group (4 Dec. 1998). While the government called the group nothing more than a group of bandits, the URNG denied that it was linked to the FRP (ibid.). Please consult GTM32484.FE of 27 August 1999 for additional information on the FRP. No recent reports on the FRP could be found.

On 6 September 1997, Rodrigo Asturias (alias "Gaspar Ilom"), former commander of ORPA, returned to Guatemala after years of living in exile in Mexico (Central America Update 12 Sept. 1997; Reding, Andrew Oct. 1998). When the URNG converted itself into a political party in August 1997, a party assembly named Asturias as the secretary for organization and municipal affairs (ibid.). Currently, Asturias is the Assistant Secretary General for the URNG party and was the chief of the New Nation Alliance campaign (Jefe del Comando de Campaña de la Alianza Nueva Nación) during the last elections in Guatemala (URNG 5 Mar. 2000).

Central America Report stated in March 2000 that former members of the URNG occupied posts in the new government of Alfonso Portillo, including ORPA's Ricardo Marroquín, who was holding the post of Secretary of Administrative Affairs (24 Mar. 2000).

In May 2000, the UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) reported that it would not investigate the El Aguacate massacre allegedly committed by ORPA combatant, Fermín Solano Barillas (alias Lieutenant David), as the events occurred before the signing of the Global Accord on Human Rights in 1994 (CEG 18 May 2000). According to Solano's sister, he was alive and living in Mexico, even though former ORPA commander, Rodrigo Asturias, had admitted to ordering his execution (ibid.).

No reports indicating whether the ORPA still exists today could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Central America Report [Guatemala]. 24 March 2000. "Leftists Occupy Key Posts in Portillo Government." (NEXIS)

_____. 4 December 1998. "Government & URNG Deny Rebel Group's Legitimacy." (NEXIS)

Central America Update [Washington]. 6-12 September 1997. "Guatemala: Gaspar Ilom Returns." http://www.ciponline.org/970912.htm [Accessed 23 Aug. 2000]

_____. 22-28 March 1997. "Guatemala Demobilization." http://www.us.net/cip/970328.htm [Accessed 23 Aug. 2000]

Centro de Estudios de Guatemala (CEG). 18 May 2000. "Cumplimiento de Acuerdos: Masacre de El Aguacate: MINUGUA afirma que no le corresponde investigar." http://www.c.net.gt/ceg/diario/2000/may2000/dimm0518.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2000]

Guatemala News Watch. March 1997. Vol. 12, No. 3. "On-Going Events in Guatemala During March, 1997." http://www.quetzalnet.com/newswatch/GNW1997/edition12-3.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2000]

La Prensa [Tegucigalpa]. 24 March 1997. "Se disuelve la última de la tres organizaciones guerrilleras de Guatemala." http://www.laprensahn.com/caarc/9703/c24001.htm [Accessed 23 Aug. 2000]

Reding, Andrew. October 1998. Human Rights in Guatemala Since the Signing of the Peace Accords. http://www.worldpolicy.org/americas/guatemala98.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2000]

Unión Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG). 5 March 2000. "URNG: Entrevista con Rodrigo Asturias." http://www.urng.com/urng050300.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2000]

IRB Databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites, including:

Amnesty International

Cerigua Weekly Briefs [Guatemala]. Search Engine. 1996-1999

Human Rights Watch

La Nación [San José]. Search Engine. 1995-2000.