The Institute (協会)

Dozens Estimated Murdered In Guatemala's Pre-Election Violence Reported by the Economist Magazine, UK

This is what the Economist Magazine reports:

The bloodiest election campaign in the country's history

Guatemalans are preparing to choose a new president on September 9th, in a climate marred by an increase in politically motivated violence. Despite a large field of candidates, a clear frontrunner has emerged, though he is unlikely to benefit from a legislative majority. The next government will face myriad challenges, but none will be more critical than addressing violent and organised crime, which is said to be increasingly infiltrating the political system itself.

According to human-rights and election monitors, this has been the bloodiest campaign period in Guatemala’s history. From March 2006 to date there have been an estimated 26-36 political murders of candidates and political activists. The victims hail from every political party, and include seven congressmen and other contenders for elected offices.

Difficult legacy

Guatemala is no newcomer to violence. The country was governed for three decades by repressive military regimes until it returned to democratic rule in 1985. It also suffered through 36 years of civil war, before peace was formally negotiated in 1996. That war pitted leftist insurgents against the US-supported military governments, and led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

Even after democracy and elections were restored, political violence continued. More recently it has been accompanied by attacks perpetrated by drug traffickers, street gangs, rogue soldiers and smugglers. The murder rate stands at around 6,000 per year, in a country of 14 [million] inhabitants.

Indeed, many of the attacks this year are attributed to organised criminals intent on influencing elections and thereby gaining clout within the political system, at the local and national levels. Guatemala, like some of its Central American and Caribbean neighbours, has become a major transit route for the narcotics trade. Drug traffickers are said to be financing some campaigns, and to have already had considerable success in placing their supporters in various elected political posts. Addressing this problem, along with that of public security in general, will be among the biggest challenges facing the next president.

Fellas, I wish I was down there and there was something I could do. Some of my best friends are Guatemalans and I literally almost moved there 3 years ago to take a teaching job (stinking school loans). Pray for them.