NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9594

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Guatemala: Enfoprensa Bulletin Dec 8th-14th
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/** reg.guatemala: 135.0 **/
** Topic: Enfoprensa English #507 **
** Written 10:55 pm  Dec 19, 1992 by web:enfopre in cdp:reg.guatemala **
Enfoprensa Weekly Newsreport: Bulletin # 507. 8th -14th
December 1992

NEGATIATIONS
NORWAY OFFERS TO HOST CONTINUATION OF NEGOTIATIONS
It was announced on December 12th that the Norwegian
parliament held meetings with members of the URNG, a
representative of the Guatemalan government and the mediator
of negotiations, Monsenor Rodolfo Quezada Torono, as
Rigoberta Menchu was being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Following meetings with labour minister, Mario Solorzano and
URNG commander, Rolando Moran, Jan Egeland, the Norwegian
chancellor indicated that the aim of the meetings was to
invite the parties "to continue the negotiations in Oslo
next year." On December 9th in a related news release, the
Guatemalan cabinet announced that the Russian government had
offered to mediate between the parties in the conflict to
arrive at "a peace agreement". Nevertheless,they rejected
the offer from their Russian counterparts, alleging that the
offer was " incompatible with the Oslo Declaration".

POLITICS
RIGOBERTA MENCHU RECEIVES NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
On December 10th, in a ceremony held in the Norwegian
parliament buildings Rigoberta Menchu Tum was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize. She declared that she "did not consider
the prize to be a personal award, rather it was one of the
greatest victories in the struggle for peace, for human
rights and for the rights of indigenous people ever." In the
absence of representatives of the guatemalan army and
government, both of whom Menchu Tum had invited to attend,
the prize winner called on the international community to
help to end the conflict in the country. She gave voice to
her wish for the Nobel Peace prize to help in continuing
negotiations which will allow for a solution "to the
underlying causes in the armed conflict" and result in the
achievement of peace.  In her speech, before an audience
including King Harald of Norway, the Norwegian Prime
Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and the French and Mexican
president's wives, Danielle Mittehrand and Cecilia Occelide
Salinas respectively, Rigoberta reminded that it was in
Guatemala itself where she had received " the most
objections, reserve and indifference  to the awarding of the
prize". For this reason she affirmed her wish for the prize
to remain in the Great Temple Museum in Mexico, "until the
neccesary conditions of peace and security exist to take it
to Guatemala".  In another part of her speech she warned
that if the refugee problem remains insolved, "there cannnot
be a true demoracy". For this there has to be a
redistrubution of land ownership which allows for "the
development of agricultural potentials understood as the
return of communally farmed lands to their legitimate
owners".  At the same time as she recalled statistics on
human rights violations she indicated that,"the repression
started long before the war started". She also called on
people "to fight for a better world, without poverty and
racism".

MEXICAN PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES RIGOBERTA
On December 11th  news was received that Mexican president
Carlos Salinas de Gortari called Rigoberta by telephone in
Oslo to congratulate her in the name of the people and
government of Mexico, extending their "warmest greetings for
receiving this well deserved award"; the Nobel Peace prize.
He carried the feelings of the Mexican people to the
Guatemalan indigenous woman saying that "they joined in the
joy of Latin american indigenous people, over the universal
recognition that she had received". He said that with the
award "the untiring work of a social fighter and defender of
human rights was recogniized". Salinas de Gortani pointed
out the importance of the Nobel prize suggesting that "it
highlights a rejection of the resurgence of segregationist,
racist and intolerant tendencies in different parts of the
world".  In contrast Guatemalan president, Jorge Serrano
Elias declared in Panama that in Guatemala, "there are no
human rights violations" and said "we are fed up of the use
of our country to fill the pages of the press".  He said
this at the same time as Rigoberta was demanding "an
explanation of recent abuses by the Guatemalan army"
commited against indigenous people in Ixcan. She suggestehd
that the only possible interpretation of these actions is
"an attempt to avoid the imminent return of 5000 refugees "
who are scheduled to return  next year.
OPPOSITION TO CREATION OF POLITICAL POLICE
On December 12th news sources stated that members of
Congress rejected the recent initiative of viceminister of
state, Napoleon Gutierrez Vargas for the creation of a new
security force , to be called the Immediate Action
Commandoes (CAI) The decision to form CAI is due to the
supposed existence of plans to "destabilise the government
in the near future according to statements made by Gutierrez
Vargas, when questioned by Juan Francisco Reyes Lopez,
deputy of the Guatemalan Republican Front Party (FRG).
Lopez stated that "this is not the way to confront the press
and others who criticize  government policies". Similar
sentiments were expressed by UCN legislator Jose Carlos
Acevedo who described the new police force as a "ridiculous
idea", because "it will be used to repress anyone who
criticizes the president of the republic".

HUAMN RIGHTS
FLAGRANT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN GUATEMALA: AMERICAS
WATCH
On the  10th of December it was learned that in its annual
report , the humanitarian organization  "Americas Watch"
placed Guatemala among those countries which during the
current year have "practised flagrant violation of human
rights".  Along with 8 other Latin American countries, the
deterioration of human rights in Guatemala has not been an
accident "rather there has been a deliberate suppression of
legal guarantees in order to perpetuate and augment power"
according to the report. In details concerning the situation
of Guatemala the report says that "the situation remains
dim" as "selective assasinations, disappearances and
torturing of detainees" by security forces have continued.
In addition they denounced "frequent anonimous death threats
against unionists, human rights activists, students and
other citizens". The text concludes that "there continues to
be a very risky situation in Guatemala".
AMILCAR MENDEZ HARRASSED
On December 8th, Runujel Junam Community council (CERJ)
leader, Amilcar Mendez, denounced coercive actions by
members of the so called civil self-defense patrols (PAC)
against legal authorities in The Quiche province aimed at
forcing them to change his conditional release order.  The
human rights activist held meetings with Edgar Tuan
Valladeres, Head of the ministry of public affairs, and Juan
Jose Rodil Peralta, president of the supreme court of
justice to inform them of his situation and of the "series
of anomalies which have been found in the judicial process"
he has been subjected to. Mendez and other labour and
popular leaders went to the judicial offices demonstrating
that seven charges had been added to those faced by the CERJ
leader, which include 'threatening members of the civil
patrols'. They pointed out that the witnesses who testified
in these charges are all "patrol members who are named in
charges of kidnapping in many denouncements lodged at the
human rights ombudsoffice".

PRIZE AWARDED TO HELEN MACK
On December 10th the press reported that, Helen Mack, a
Guatemalan professional woman was awarded the "Life with
Justice" ("Vida Justa") prize in the Sweedish parliament in
Stockholm.  Mack was awarded this prize in acknowledgement
of the "struggle she has been carrying out against political
violence in Central America", especially in the case of the
murder of her sister, Myrna Mack, at the hand of the
Guatemalan security forces in September 1990.  The prize,
which is seen as the "Alternative Nobel", was given to Mack
after two years of struggle in court against the suspected
murderers of her sister. According to  Helen this was a
"political murder". She is also demanding that Guatemalan
authorities "identify and prosecute those responsible for
the crime, saying that by  doing this she "has been
confronting the machinary of violence" through a "peaceful
but dedicated combat".

SERRANO CONTINUES ATTACKING THE PRESS
News arrived on December 14th that the National Council in
Defense of Journalist's Rights (CNDHP) had rejected
accusations made by Serrano in Panama which called members
of the press "destabilizers" of the country.  In a press
release CNDHP warned that in the past few weeks the social
climate "has become more polarized" following Serrano's
declarations claiming that Guatemalan human rights are
respected and that"the press and humanitarian organisations
have created an industry based on a campaign of defamation
to fill the pages of the newspapers".  The journalists warn
Guatemalan people citing the "seriousness and danger we see
in the current process, which is characterized by the
arrogance with which the government is ruling the country".
They end by reminding that, from the 15th December on,
"black December" begins, according to annonymous threats
circulating in the country. These threats include "the
murders of members of the press, which forces journalists to
make denouncements and to take a united position to confront
the situation".  Serrano Elias, not satisfied with all of
this, continued attacking the media, accusing them of lack
of respect "for state institutions and their
representatives". "Now anyone thinks they have a right to
provoke the government" he said.  These declarations were
made during the Guatemalan Air Force Day celebrations, where
Serrano took  advantage of the event to warn the press: "We
can no longer tolerate lack of respect for authority" and
"sometimes I wonder if it is worse to shoot someone or to
grossly offend their dignity".

ARMY ATTACKS AND BURNS VILLAGES: CPR
On December 13th, Marcos Ramirez Vargas, a representative of
the communities of populations in resistance (CPR) in Sierra
and Ixcan, reported that, between November 21st and 27th
military troops from the Playa Grande barrracks attacked and
burned the communities of Cuarto Pueblo, Los Angeles and
Pueblo Nuevo.  Ramirez Vargas stated that this "scorched
earth" operation, carried out by 450 army soldiers forced
the inhabitants of the villages "to flee to Mexico, seeking
refuge and leaving all of their belongings which were
destroyed by the fire". The soldiers also "destroyed crops,
took domestic animals and stole objects of value which
belonged to the villagers" he said.  He denied claims by
Defense Minister, Jose Domingo, Garcia Samayoa, that the CPR
are"the political arm of the guerillas" and recalled the
bombardment of Los Angeles last July pointing out that, this
time "Los Angeles was totally burned by the army". He ended
by denouncing that, "civil patrols are trying to occupy the
lands of the CPR".

POPULAR MOVEMENT
CONDEMNATION OF AGGRESSION AGAINST THE PRESS
News was received on December 8th that the Assocation of
University Students  (AEU) and  members of the School of
Communications of the University of San Carlos had condemned
the "harrassment and verbal threats" which the government
has made against the press. The students pointed out that,
by threatening the press the governement "is beginning a
process of destabilizing the country".  They indicated that
the intimidatory actions against the press " come, without a
shadow of a doubt from the government". This is evidenced by
"the way in which threats are carried out" and by the
constant harrassment of popular sectors, which is generating
a climate of instability" they claimed.  Otto Zeisig,
general secretary of the Judicial Workers Union, stated that
the "current situation in Guatemala could lead to a
dictatorship" which seeks to silence "the voices of people
who denounce and protest against acts of corruption and
abuse of power by those in government".  He added: "to limit
information is in fact a restriction of movement and
freedoms in the country". At the same time he  called on
the president to bring to light "recent actions committed
against the press", and reminded people that it was after
bad treatment had  already been given to reporters that "a
further attack has been committed against the journalist
Omar Cano".

CITIZENS PROTEST HIKE IN TRANSPORT FARES
On December 9th it was learned that members of the 'National
City Dwellers Association' (MONAP) rejected the recent bus
fare hike decreed by the government, claiming that it was "a
clear violation of Human Rights".  MONAP went to the Human
Rights Ombudsoffice requesting him to obtain "a properly
researched report" from the Mayor of Guatemala City
explaining the reasons for the "excessive increase in
fares". At the same time they asked that their request be
"legally recognized", because the increase "limits the
possibilities for survival of the poor population in
Guatemala".  They asked that the 8 million quetzales in the
municipal budget "be used to found a Municipal Urban
Transport Company" and that "the government inaugurates a
commission of government and non-government organizations to
" discuss urban transport alternatives".

AWARD OF NOBEL PRIZE CELEBRATED
On December 11th, it was learned that several humanitarian
and popular organizations marched through Guatemala city
streets to celebrate the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize
to Rigoberta Menchu Tum. They also celebrated the
International Day of Human Rights.  The 3000 marchers
gathered at the Central Plaza. A member of the Commitee  of
Peasent Unity -CUC- addressed the crowd saying that, " with
this prize the resistance is reafirmed". This resistence
"has been carried out by indigenous people in every corner
of the country".  The CUC member pointed out that "this is
the first time in the history of the struggle of indigenous
people that we have achieved the declaration of the
international Year of Indigenous Peoples".  He alsop
declared December the 10th to be a symbolic day "to carry on
with our demand for peace" and "to defend our legitimate
rights". He demanded an "immediate end to systematic and
constant repression and violation of human rights".  On the
same day another celebration took place, this time at
Kaminal Juyu, an archeological site in zone 7, Guatemala
city.  Guatemalan ethnic groups carried out cultural and
religious ceremonies with mayan priestesses and priests.
Members of the Mayan Coalition Majawil Q'ij declared  that
"we are beginning to see on the horizon signs of changes
towards human dignity, human rights and peace". They
demanded the rights for their people to live, their right to
the land and to their ways of thinking, speaking, their
cultures and religion. They also demanded "the eradication
of malnutrition and misery" and " an end to the control of
the civil defense patrols -PAC- over them".

SOCIAL SITUATION
TRANSPORT PROBLEMS POLARIZED.
On December the 12th, the press stated that members of the
Urban Transport Coalition had expressed their intention to
increase bus fares, following the official removal of the
public transportation subsidy and the release of gas price
controls. The municipal Council rejected the plan of bus
owners to increase the fares.  The mere announcement of the
proposed fare increase resulted in violent protests in
Guatemala City, where several buses were burned.  Urban
transport owners threatened to stop services by December the
16th if the situation is not resolved. They also threatened
to start running the buses with the proposed  fare
increase.

CHURCH
JOHN PAUL II PRAYS FOR PEACE IN GUATEMALA
In a mass, which coincided with the end of the 'First
conference of the Church of the Mariano Archdiocese', John
Paul II asked catholics, gathered at Saint Peter's square,
to offer "their deepest prayers" for "peace and justice to
become a reality in daily communion for all Guatemalans".
The pope, expressed his rejection of evangelical sects,
which have been taken up widely by the population in recent
years and asked for divine help so that, "equality,
sincerity, good treatment, and respect for each others
dignity" might exist.  The message was read out during the
conference in Guatemala, which brought together thousands of
catholics from Sacatepequez, Santa Rosa and Guatemala.  The
archbishop of Guatemala, Monsenor Prospero Penaldos del
Barrio, proposed that president Jorge Serrano, "search for
the mechanisms which will level out economic inequalities"
in an attempt to avoid "a  social explosion in the near
future" resulting from "bad politics".  He added that "if
public disorder exists then this is the government's
responsibility and they need to ask themselves why there are
protests". He pointed out that currently 85% of the
population live in poverty, and that the number of "those
living in extreme poverty" increases daily.

INSURGENCY
URNG CAUSES LOSSES TO THE ARMY
The Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity -URNG- recently
informed, by means of war communiques, about the latest
military actions carried out in various parts of the
country.  On November 29th, 141 from Guatemala City,
guerilla units attacked an army truck on the Pan-American
highway with "homemade weapons". The truck, which from the
outside showed no signs that it belonged to the army, was
transporting 25 armed government soldiers. The truck was
seriously damaged and 8 fatalities were caused to the army.
Later on, on December 5th, insurgent forces attacked a
military patrol leaving the 'Las Palmas' ranch in Menton,
Huehuetenango with "rifle fire and rocket launchers".
Simultaneously other guerilla units occupied "various points
on the 'Trans-North' highway, and hung up banners of URNG
propaganda.  On December 9th, guerilla combattants attacked
military troops in the hamlet of Sebol in the province of
Alta Verapaz "with rifle fire and grenade launchers" causing
one fatality. At the same time the Quiche province, rebel
units, carried out propaganda activities near the village of
Nacalajau in Uspantan, conversing with peasants in teh area
for 2 hours and distributing leaflets.  In the latter
location on the10th December, another confrontation resulted
in 7 more fatalities to government troops. In the action,
insurgents recovered "a rifle with a large quantity of
ammunition, a complete army combatuniform and a walkie
talkie radio".  On December 10th, in Alta Verapaz, guerilla
forces harassed a military unit 3 times. The unit "was
patrolling the south east of te village of San Jose
Buenavista. The brief ends stating that this action caused 5
fatalities to the army.

COUNTERINSURGENCY
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ARMS DEAL IN ISRAEL
On December 14th it became known that Defense Minister, Jose
Domingo Garcia Samayoa, had contacted "some military
industry companies" during his recent visit to Israel, aimed
at buying "technology for deminig mined areas and military
communications equipment".  The announcement was made only
weeks after Nobel prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu, asked the
Israeli government to stop selling arms to the Guatemalan
government. Garcia Samayoa confirmed that he had already
acquired "some weapons to bring the equipment of the
Guatemalan army up to standard" adding "that they are not
sophisticated weapons".

Enfoprensa is a non-profit, independent Guatemalan news
agency based in Mexico city. The news is brought to Web in
English by Enfoprensa Canada.  For more information or (very
welcome) donations you can contact Enfoprensa Canada at
455-810 West Broadway, Vancouver B.C. V5Z 4C9 Canada. Or
contact us via Web. Please feel free to reproduce any of
this information citing Enfoprensa as the source. See you
next week!
** End of text from cdp:reg.guatemala **