On December 29, 1996 (my 40th birthday, coincidentally) peace accords were signed ending Central America's longest running and probably most brutal civil conflict: the Guatemala Civil War.
Yet there has been little progress in those eight years in implementing the peace accords. Much of Guatemalan society remains as it was prior to the accords. Crime remains high. The US Department of State has a travel advisory that is good until May 1, 2005 advising US citizens of the following among other issues:
Buses of all categories, tour vans and private vehicles have been stopped, with drivers and passengers robbed, sometimes with violent results. Armed robbers have intercepted vehicles on main roads in broad daylight. Crimes against foreigners have included murder, rape, and armed robbery, increasingly in conjunction with highway banditry. Recent cases of highway banditry have included the rape of women and female minors.
The police force suffers from corruption, inexperience and lack of funds, and the judicial system is weak, overworked, and inefficient. Criminals, armed with an impressive array of weapons, know there is little chance they will be caught and punished. In some cases, assailants have been wearing full or partial police uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles, indicating some elements of the police might be involved. In several recent cases, the assault occurred within minutes of the tourists' vehicle being stopped by the police. Gangs are also a growing concern, both in Guatemala City and in rural Guatemala. Gang members are often well-armed and they sometimes use unprovoked violence. Gang members are believed to be responsible for a substantial increase of frequently violent robberies on inter- and intra-city buses that resemble U.S. school buses; U.S. Mission personnel are not permitted to travel on these buses. Mission personnel continue to observe heightened security precautions in Guatemala City and on the roads outside the capital city.
The government, to its credit acknowledges the problems:
'Considering that the most serious problems affecting Guatemalan society have gotten worse, . . . we could weigh the idea of beginning 2005 with a big effort aimed at reviving the stagnant peace accords,'' Peace Secretary Victor Montejo told citizens in a national address.
Guatemalan activists and international observers alike agree that Guatemala has not done enough to fulfill the promises of the accords the government signed with rebel guerrillas on Dec. 29, 1996.
Let's hope that they make some progress. Social justice in Central America's largest country has been considered a luxury for far too long.
...but as long as I'm here...my oousin, in the mid 70's, took a solo bicycle ride to Guatemala (I forget his particular motivation) and, other than a brief, Easy Rider type scare in Mexico, encountered nothing other than a peaceful, friendly people, and enjoyed his trip. How sad, (barring a communista type revolution?) that there will continue to be no real attention paid to this problem. It's not going to go away by itself...
Posted by: jim hitchcock | December 31, 2004 at 10:32 PM
I was stopped repeatedly by police and the military in Guatemala, but never robbed. I heard stories about bandits when I was down there. Not sure about the connection between banditry and the peace accords, but I suspect a crackdown would create a firestorm of protest. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Posted by: j.scott barnard | January 05, 2005 at 12:37 PM
Scott,
I believe that in order to implement the peace accords effectively you have to have security. A crackdown can be effected without going back to the Guatemala of old.
I think that President Berger has been doing a good job given the cards he has been dealt. I praise him for reducing the size of the army.
Posted by: Randy Paul | January 05, 2005 at 01:26 PM