Canary Institute ~ Guatemala News Summary #7, 8 and 9

Guatemala News Summary #7 | Sept 9 – Sept 15, 2009 | Compiled by Patricia Anderson

Mining

Montana Exploradora was caught trying import 100,000 kg of cyanide into Guatemala last week. The Environmental Ministry suspended Montana’s privileges to import cyanide in July because the company has failed to pay cyanide’s import tax since 2005. Montana owes more then US$20,000 in unpaid import taxes. Cyanide is essential to the leaching process of gold and silver.

Health

The National Union of Health Workers has made the decision to officially protest the lack of resources given to the public health sector. Their specific demand is that the Executive branch gives back the US$100,000 that was taken from the Ministry of Health and used for things that damaged peoples’ health. Protests are scheduled for the 11th, 17th and 21st of September. If their demands are not met, say union leaders, they will go on strike.

President Colom dismissed the Minister of Health Celso Cerezo for “inappropriate conduct and mismanagement of the health crisis.” The inappropriate behavior to which Colom was referring was ex-Minister Cerezo’s sprint out of Congress last Tuesday in order to avoid to the press. The Vice-minister of Hospitals was promoted to position of Minister. However, there is little hope that the change in face will change the Ministry of Health’s antiquated approach to the current health crisis. The health crisis is characterized by overlapping crisis of severe malnutrition, lack of medical supplies, hemorrhaging dengue and H1N1.

Adoption

The International Conference of Adoptions identified Brazil, Paraguay and Guatemala as the Latin American countries where babies are most often adopted in an irregular or illegal manner. The Conference said while illegal adoptions occur with government consent, local governments are often under a lot of pressure from adoption agencies in recipient states. The National Board for Adoption reports that before Guatemala’s new adoption law, 5,000 babies were adopted out of Guatemala per year. This year only 155 adoptions have been permitted.

Food Crisis

The United Nations’ World Food Program distributed 20 tons of power bars to Jalapa and Jutiapa last week; these two departments are home to more than 30 percent of the families most affected by the food crisis.

Economy

Even though President Colom decided against raising the minimum wage for textile factory workers, a new proposal for a “productivity bonus” has surfaced. The bonus would raise wages by US$1.75 per day. The current minimum wage in the textile sector is US$5.96 per day. Minimum wage for agricultural workers is US$11 per day. The minimum wage for textile and factory workers has remained the same for the last 14 years.

Guatemala News Summary #8 | Sept 16 – Sept 22, 2009 | Compiled by Patricia Anderson

Poverty

Unlike other Central American countries such as Costa Rica and Panama, Guatemala reports a high frequency of rabies, dengue, rubella, dysentery and whooping cough. Save the Children reports that there are 85,000 children suffering from chronic malnutrition. Infant mortality in children less than 5 years old is 78 per 1000.

Hunger Crisis

President Colom has declared a state of National Disaster in light of the food crisis and drought that has affected more than half of the country. Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico have offered humanitarian aid to Guatemala to combat the crisis that affects more than 2 million Guatemalans. Mexico, in spite of the damage it has suffered from the same prolonged drought, has offered surplus grains; Venezuela is offering large shipments of rice.

The offers come as much needed relief since the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) announced a drastic reduction of operations in the country last week. The WFP cites a lack of financial support as the reason for its pull out. The WFP asks the international community for US$17 million to continue distributing food to high risk populations of children and pregnant women. The European Union pledged US$11 million to finance a joint Guatemala-European program to bring relief to those suffering from chronic hunger in conjunction with educational programs about reforestation, water management and agricultural.

Migration

This month, the number of deported Guatemalan migrants has exceeded 38,000. More than 30,000 Guatemalans came to the US seeking refugee status during the 36 year long civil war and have lived in the United States for 10-25 years. However, a large number of those who asked for political asylum are now targeted for deportation by the FBI; authorities justify the deportations citing irregularities and lack of follow-up in their 10 year-old paperwork.

Climate Change

Ten of Guatemala’s largest rivers are 40 percent lower than their normal levels due to the longest drought in 32 years. Water levels have not been this low since 1992 with El Niño. Only 21 percent of the average rainfall was seen in August and similar levels have been predicted for September and October, the final months of the rainy season. Increased electricity prices and energy rationing are expected because Guatemala runs largely on hydroelectric power.

Guatemala News Summary #9 | Sept 23 – Sept 29, 2009 | Compiled by Patricia Anderson

Coup in Honduras

Following ousted president Manuel Zalaya’s return to Honduras, President Colom changed his stance of support for Zalaya to one of neutrality. The change was urged by Congress after de-facto president Micheletti announced that Zalaya had entered via Guatemala. Several public figures, including Rigoberta Menchu, have asked the government to publicly support Zalaya’s rightful return to power. Despite the change of the government’s official stance, Colom announced that Latin America will not tolerate coup’s like it did in the 70s and 80s.

The vice-president announced the opening of refugee camps for Hondurans fleeing political persecution under the de-facto government. Roberto Micheletti’s de-facto presidency is not recognized by any international government. Additionally, International Monetary Fund reaffirmed Zalaya as the rightful president of Honduras last week.

Mining

Mining royalties are expected to increase by 10 percent this year. As a result, the Ministry of Energy and Mining (MEM) has proposed the creation of a Collective Mining Fund specifically devoted to overseeing the use of mining royalties for rural development. Due widespread rejection of mines by nearby indigenous communities, the proposal also includes raising royalties. The MEM estimates that an ounce of gold sells for more than US$900 on the international market. The MEM proposal advising splitting the profits between the company and the State, with 75 percent of the government’s profits going to the Collective Mining Fund to be passed onto communities in the form of development projects.

Migration

The National Council of La Raza announced last week that Latinos in the United States have experienced more unemployment due to the economic recession than any other ethnic group; more than one million Latinos have lost their jobs since December 2007.

Violence against Women

In the last eight years, more than 4,300 women have been killed in a brutal or violent manner. News source Albedrío says that impunity, corruption, civil insecurity and high levels of inequality create spaces for the perpetuation of violence against women. The new 2008 laws against femicide included, for the first time, a legal definition of femicide and a prison sentence for those who commit it. However, a diagnostic study of the Guatemalan Group for Women (GGW) found that only 26 out of every 100 cases of potential femicide are ever investigated. GGW provides psychological counseling and legal assistance to women who have been victims of violence. GGW’s central work is pressuring Congress in finding justice for those who commit violence against women.

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