Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

It is true that the country has been hit by a series of systematic attacks on the basic services for the population like public transport and the extortion of shop owners.

In his speech addressing the nation, which was broadcasted on all national radio and t.v. channels, the President urged the people to remain calm. The president mentioned that there are forces trying to destabilize the country. He also ensured the people there will be no state of emergency, and that he is taking action, based on the National Security Plan backed by CICIG, to combat crime. In this respect, he emphasized that the cooperation of all citizens is necessary. According to the President, quick solutions in terms of ¨mano dura¨ by making use of the army to guarantee security, are not the answer. The current policy is baring some fruit: a document has been discovered revealing a plan for mutiny in several prisons in the country to set free members of the mara (gang) Zeta imprisoned there. The President believes that, just like in Mexico, the violent and systematic attacks are due to the initial results in combating crime.

Bearing Arms

It is noteworthy that these attacks are happening at the same time the Congress discusses the Law on Arms and Ammunition; a law that provokes controversy in Guatemala society as it intends to register arms and reduce the legal amount of ammunition per weapon which affects the interests of the weapon industry.

It also coincides with the presentation of the report ¨the right to know¨ which is the initial analysis of the documents of the Police Archive from 1975 to 1985. The archive of the former national police consists of documents from the beginning of the National Police until now. With Dutch cooperation, the archive relating to the years of the armed conflict in Guatemala have been analyzed. These first results were presented by the Human Rights Ombudsman. The analysis and systematization of this information already led to the capture of two former police officials, accused to be involved in the disappearance in 1984 of union leader Fernando Garcia, husband of MP Nineth Montenegro.

Shortly after this presentation, the wife of the Human Rights Ombudsman was kidnapped and tortured to be released 13 hours later. The kidnappers did not ask for money. No information is available on the ones responsible for the kidnapping.

Urgent demand for legislation

At this moment CICIG and the national justice system are investigating as one of their priorities the attacks on the bus drivers, to find out who are behind the attacks. According to our political analysts there are different sectors that would benefit from the attacks. One of them is the drugs mafia that is also infiltrated in the army, the police and other state organizations.

The pressure on the government to reduce crime and on the Congress to approve the Arms and Ammunition Law and other legislation related to security is enormous. For the government it is important to be able to show results in this respect on the short term, otherwise the call for more severe interventions will be hard to resist.