As is well known, on Wednesday, January 7, a horrific attack took place in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo magazine office, leaving twelve people dead. The world's attention was immediately consumed.

On Wednesday, January 7, an estimated 2000 people in Nigeria were also murdered. By contrast, not many noticed.

This is not about which atrocity was worse or about comparing numbers and circumstances. This is about the fact that two massacres occurred in two different parts of the globe. One gained the attention of the world while the other was overlooked.

Since the days of William Walker, Nicaragua has suffered routine plunder by thieves, near and far. Americans—mercenaries and businessmen—raided the country in successive ways from the 1850s through the early twentieth century, claiming dominion and taking what they could.

What appeared to be some good news out of Guatemala today took a disappointing turn this afternoon. The retrial of former army general and dictator José Efraín Rios Montt, who has long been accused of overseeing genocide and crimes against humanity during his rule, was supposed to kick off this morning in Guatemala City.