Salvadoran General García one step closer to deportation

The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals recently denied retired Salvadoran General José Guillermo García's appeal of his deportation order. Garcia was connected to the deaths of Oscar Romero, the four US churchwomen, and many others during the early years of the Salvadoran civil war.

By its ruling, the board affirmed the findings of Immigration Judge Michael Horn that García participated in some of the country’s most shocking crimes while serving as Minister of Defense from October 1979 to April 1983, Blum said.

Horn found that the Department of Homeland Security had established that García protected death squads and "assisted or otherwise participated in" 14 assassinations, six massacres, and the torture of three individuals in addition to the torture and killings of countless civilians by forces under his command...

Salvadoran authorities are working to reform the statute of limitations for crimes committed by Catholic clergy against children. Some corruption charges against previous ARENA administrations of Calderon Sol and Cristiani seem not to be possible because of statute of limitations. In Garcia's case, there's some statute of limitations' concerns. However, El Salvador really just needs a few brave prosecutors and judges to get the ball rolling. Easier said that done obviously. Perhaps a US decision on extraditing Inocente Montano to Spain to face charges for the slaying of the UCA Jesuits will do the trick?