Carlos Arana Osorio vs Riad al-Asaad

As military commander in eastern Guatemala, Arana led a counterinsurgency campaign in Zacapa that resulted in the massacre of thousands of civilians. The campaign earned him the nickname 'Butcher of Zacapa' and set a precedent for state terror.

Carlos Arana Osorio assumed the presidency of Guatemala after winning a rigged election. A general known for his brutal counterinsurgency tactics, he was the first of a series of military rulers during the country's civil war.

Arana declared a state of siege upon taking office, suspending civil liberties and granting the military sweeping powers. The regime carried out widespread arrests, torture, and executions of political opponents and suspected guerrillas.

On July 29, 2011, Riad al-Asaad, a former Syrian Air Force colonel, announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in a video statement. This marked the creation of an armed opposition force against the government of Bashar al-Assad, drawing defectors from the Syrian military and initiating organized armed resistance in the Syrian Civil War.

In March 2013, a car bomb targeted Riad al-Asaad in Deir ez-Zor, Syria. The explosion killed several of his bodyguards and severely wounded al-Asaad, leaving him with permanent injuries. The attack was attributed to Islamist extremist groups within the Syrian opposition, highlighting internal divisions among anti-government forces.

Following the assassination attempt, Riad al-Asaad moved to Turkey for medical treatment and safety. While in exile, his influence over the Free Syrian Army diminished as more powerful Islamist factions and rival commanders took operational control of FSA units inside Syria, reducing his role to a symbolic figurehead.