Guatemala Outside In

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced Thursday that the United States would lift its ban on military aid to Guatemala... $3.2 million with more expected (economic assistance has exceded $100 million a year). This despite Berger having not proposed to cut the defence budget, according to figures from Colectivo de Organisaciones Sociales (Q950 million in 2003 and 2004). It is difficult to assess the exact figure, as there has been a tendency in the past to transfer monies from other budgets to the defence budget. Berger did this last year citing the need for the scaling down from 27,000 to 15,000 military personel.

"I've been impressed by the reforms that have been undertaken in the armed forces," Mr. Rumsfeld said at a joint news conference with President Óscar Berger of Guatemala. "I know it is a difficult thing to do but it's been done with professionalism and transparency."

Adriana Beltrán, an expert on Guatemala with the Washington Office on Latin America, a research institution, said Mr. Berger's government had done very little to stop private groups of gunmen from intimidating and killing people who were working to uncover past and present human rights abuses in Guatemala. Rewarding the government with arms sends the wrong message, she said. (New York Times 25-03-05)

U.S. officials estimate that 80 percent of cocaine headed for the U.S. market comes from land, sea or air routes through Guatemala, which borders southern Mexico. http://www.defense.gov/news/Mar2005/20050324_296.html