Jueves negro (Spanish: "Black Thursday") refers to a violent series of political demonstrations that created havoc in Guatemala City on 24 July 2003. Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. ... July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In May 2003, the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG) political party selected former military dictator Efraín Ríos Montt as its candidate for the forthcoming November presidential election. However, his candidacy was initially rejected by the electoral registry and by two lower courts, on the grounds of a constitutional ban preventing former coup leaders from seeking the presidency (Ríos Montt had originally come to power by means of a coup d'état on 23 March 1982. In July 2003, the Constitutional Court, which had had several judges appointed from the FRG, approved his candidacy for president, arguing that the terms of the 1985 Constitution could not be applied retroactively. 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → A timeline of events in the news for May, 2003. ... The Guatemalan Republican Front (Spanish:Frente Republicano Guatemalteco (FRG)) is a political party in Guatemala. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... José Efraín Ríos Montt (born June 16, 1926) is a former military dictator of Guatemala, army general, and former president of Congress. ... A General Election was held in Guatemala on 9 November 2003. ... A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means by a part of the state establishment that mostly replaces just the top power figures. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for July, 2003. ... Retroactivity in law is the application of a given norm to events that took place or began to produce legal effects, before the law was approved. ...

Later, however, the Supreme Court suspended his campaign for the presidency and agreed to hear a complaint brought by two right-of-centre parties that the general was constitutionally barred from running for president of the country. Ríos Montt denounced the ruling as judicial manipulation and, in a radio address, called on his followers to take to the streets to protest against this decision. On 24 July, the day known as 'jueves negro', thousands of masked FRG supporters invaded the streets of Guatemala City armed with machetes, clubs and guns. They had been bussed in from all over the country by the FRG amidst claims that people working in FRG-controlled municipalities were being blackmailed with being sacked if they did not attend the demonstration. The demonstrators blocked traffic, chanted threatening slogans, and waved their machetes about. July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ...

They were led by well known FRG militants, including a well known member of Congress — and secretary of Ríos Montt's daughter, Zury, also an FRG leader — who was photographed by the press early in the morning while co-ordinating the actions. The demonstrators marched on the courts, the opposition parties headquarters, and newspapers, torching buildings, shooting out windows and burning cars and tyres in the streets. A TV journalist, Héctor Fernando Ramírez, died of a heart attack running away from a mob. The situation was so chaotic over the weekend that both the UN mission and the U.S. embassy were closed. The Congress of the Republic (Spanish: Congreso de la República) is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Guatemala. ... Zury Ríos Montt (b. ... Héctor Fernando Ramírez, better known as Reportero X (Reporter X) died of a heart attack on July 24th 2003 of a heart attack in Guatemala City while being chased by a mob in what is referred to as jueves negro (black Thursday). ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Motto: (1789 to 1956) (Latin for Out of many, one) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - • President George W. Bush (R)  - • Vice...

Following the rioting, the Constitutional Court, packed with allies of Ríos Montt and his protégé, President Alfonso Portillo, overturned the Supreme Court decision. The legal reasoning behind the final decision was not immediately made public. However, Ríos Montt had maintained that the ban on coup leaders, formalized in the 1985 Constitution, could not be applied retroactively to acts before that date. Many Guatemalans expressed anger over the Court's decision. Pres. ...

Ríos Montt went on to be placed third in the November presidential vote, behind Álvaro Colom and Óscar Berger. Álvaro Colom Caballeros (born 15 June 1951 in Guatemala City) is a Guatemalan politician, member of the centre left National Union of Hope (UNE). ... Pres. ...

Narrative of events (BBC News coverage)

• 25 May 2003: Guatemala coup leader to stand (elected by party delegates)
• 8 June 2003: Guatemala coup leader defies ban (registration rejected by electoral authorities)
• 6 July 2003: Election setback for Guatemala general (Supreme Court rejects appeal, upholds June ruling by Supreme Electoral Tribunal)
• 15 July 2003: Guatemala general can seek office (Constitutional Court allows him to run, ruling that the Constitution can't be applied retroactively)
• 21 July 2003: Guatemala general blocked again (suspension by the Supreme Court, following appeal lodged by opposition parties)
• 24 July 2003: Bar on Guatemala general upheld (Constitutional Court upholds Supreme Court's suspension)
• 25 July 2003: Guatemala City hit by riot (Black Thursday)
• 31 July 2003: General to run in Guatemala (Constitutional Court overturns earlier ban)
• 11 November 2003: Guatemala general 'accepts loss' (Ríos Montt places third in first-round ballot)

May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Political Violence in Guatemala (ZNet)
• Jueves negro action alert (NISGUA)