"disappeared" between 1970 and 1974 under the Arana government. Under Arana, death squads were used not only as a counterinsurgency tactic, but as a tactic for fighting crime. In one incident on 13 October 1972, ten people were knifed to death in the name of a death squad known as the "Avenging Vulture." Guatemalan government sources told the U.S. Department of State that the "Avenging Vulture" and other similar death squads operating during the time period were a "smoke screen" for extra-legal tactics being employed by the National Police against non-political delinquents. Overall, as many as 42,000 Guatemalan civilians were killed or "disappeared" during the Mendez and Arana regimes. Later life Following his presidency, he withdrew from political life and founded a political party, Central Auténtica Nacionalista (CAN). The party participated in several elections but had little impact. He died in December 2003. References Bibliography External links Obituary (BBC News) Presidents of Guatemala Ambassadors of Guatemala to Nicaragua Guatemalan military personnel People of the Guatemalan Civil War 1918 births 2003 deaths National Liberation Movement (Guatemala) politicians Institutional Democratic Party politicians People from Santa Rosa Department, Guatemala 20th-century Guatemalan people Guatemalan anti-communists Guatemalan Freemasons