/* Written 11:00 PM Feb 19, 1991 by cerisea in igc:reg.guatemala */ /* ---------- "Cerigua Briefs, Feb. 10 - 16" ---------- */ CERIGUA WEEKLY BRIEFS, February 10 - 16, 1991 Journalist Arrested Under Suspicious Circumstances The arrest of a Guatemalan journalist has been widely classified as an attack on freedom of the press in Guatemala. Journalists as well as politicians and businessmen have questioned the arrest of columnist Hugo Arce of the daily newspaper Siglo XXI. On Saturday, February 9, Arce was arrested for possession of cocaine and explosives which were allegedly found in his car. A journalist quoted in Prensa Libre said the circumstances of the arrest are reminiscent of methods used under past dictatorships to falsely incriminate those who disagreed with the government. According to Prensa Libre, Arce was blacklisted as one of the most critical and independent journalists in the country. He was known to strongly criticize President Serrano, both during the electoral campaign and since he took office. Arce supported Jorge Carpio's candidacy and accused Serrano of representing the continuation of Cerezo-style government. Congressman Hector Luna likened the arrest to a poorly-made movie, carried out so clumsily that no one believes it. The representative from the opposition National Centrist Union (UCN) party said Arce's arrest was obviously intended to silence his criticism of President Serrano. Even those who disagree with Arce's point of view are protesting what they consider a blatant infringement on freedom of the press. Serrano has denied the columnist was arrested because of his sharp criticism of the president. Serrano Will Not Form Investigatory Commission President Serrano said on Thursday that forming a commission to investigate disappearances does not fall within the government's jurisdiction. Leaders of the Mutual Support Group for Relatives of the Disappeared (GAM) had met with Serrano on Tuesday and demanded that the government form a commission to investigate the whereabouts of the disappeared. The same demand made repeatedly by GAM during the Cerezo government brought no results. Serrano delivered a letter to GAM President Nineth de Garcia on Thursday which contended that the task is the responsibility of the human rights ombudsman, to whom he will give his full support. It was announced that Nineth de Garcia will be one of those to speak at the 47th assembly of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which is currently in session in Geneva, Switzerland. Guatemalan Organizations Testify in Geneva At least 40 Guatemalans have been murdered in less than a month since Serrano took office, according to two human rights groups which were in Geneva, Switzerland this week to speak before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The Guatemalan Human Rights Commission and the Pro-Justice and Peace Committee said that the bodies of many of the victims showed signs of having been tortured. The human rights groups said that these assassinations are inconsistent with President Serrano's promise of respect for human rights under his new government. The two organizations asked Latin American governments attending the current assembly of the UN Commission to respond to the cry of the Guatemalan people, not to the petitions of the Guatemalan government. This is not the first time that the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission and the Pro-Justice Committee have presented reports of human rights violations before the United Nations. The groups made a special plea to Latin American governments that this time the case of Guatemala be treated according to the facts. They ask that Guatemala be placed on the list of couontries where human rights are systematically violated, so that the United Nations will directly monitor the situation. Amnesty International Reports on Guatemala Guatemala is one of six countries where disappearances occur at a chronic rate, according to a statement presented by Amnesty International (AI) before the UN Commission on Human Rights this week. AI pointed out that although forced disappearances were previously associated with military dictatorships, five of the six countries have elected civilian governments. The impunity enjoyed by security forces is a typical characteristic of the disappearances and is probably one of the most important factors which contribute to the increase of disappearances in the named countries. Not only those considered to be threats to the security of the state are victims of disappearances, according to AI. The example was given of a month-old baby and her mother who were kidnapped by the Guatemalan military in Quiche province in August 1990 after an army counterinsurgency operation. The two remain "disappeared." The other five countries mentioned by AI are Peru, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Colombia and Mauritania. Guatemalan and Mexican Governments Meet Representatives of the Guatemalan and Mexican governments met for two days this week to discuss various aspects of relations between the two countries. Guatemalan Foreign Minister Alvaro Arzu said that one of the positive outcomes of the bilateral meeting was an agreement to begin renegotiation of Guatemala's debt to Mexico within 30 days.Guatemala owes Mexico approximately $70 million for petroleum. President Serrano told the press that his government is ready to come to agreements with Mexico as well as Venezuela for the extraction of petroleum in Guatemala. The wide range of topics discussed at the meeting held in Guatemala included tourism, agriculture, fishery, education, health, scientific and technological cooperation, finances, commerce, and nuclear accidents. Although the issue of Guatemalan refugees living in southeastern Mexico was considered to be one of the most important topics, no definitive agreement was reached. It is anticipated that Mexican President Carlos Salinas will make a visit to Guatemala in the near future to meet with Serrano. Controversy Over Legislators' Salaries An editorial in Tuesday's Guatemalan Flash radio news broadcast described Guatemala as a country of abysmal contrasts, where one finds both wisdom and illiteracy, both beauty and horror. A current example of the extreme contrasts is evident in the salaries of Congressional representatives and campesinos, according to the editorial. After a long hard battle, the minimum salary for fieldworkers was raised last year to 10 quetzales a day, an amount which is next to nothing in current economic conditions. With the recent raise in salary, Congressional representatives will now earn 12,000 quetzales a month, or 400 quetzales a day. "Ten quetzales for hard work from sunrise to sunset, while the honorable representative pockets 400 quetzales for nothing more than raising his hand," commented the Guatemala Flash editorial. Ex-Congressman Antonio Hernandez Valencia declared on Wednesday that the salary raise was approved by the current legislature. He criticized those who have tried to pin the blame on the previous legislature, which approved a proposal to build a new Congressional building, not higher salaries. There has been widespread protest in Guatemala over the increase in salaries for legislators during a time of economic crisis. On Thursday Labor Minister Mario Solorzano justified the salary received by the representatives. He said that even though the decision to raise the salary was made at an inopportune moment, one should not forget the great efforts made by the elected officials. Jail Cells in National Palace Denounced The mother of a missing ex-security agent charged on Thursday that there are jail cells located in the national palace. Carmen Aquilar said she will ask a judge to look for her missing son in the jail cells on the fourth floor of the government building. The fourth floor is the location of thecentral offices of the Ministry of Defense. Aquilar said her 24-year-old son quit his job as a security agent for the national palace on January 30. The next day he left home to go to his previous workplace to take care of an unfinished matter and has not returned, according to his mother. Sanctions Against Padre Chemita Protested A crowd of followers of a controversial Catholic priest occupied the archdiocesan palace in the capital city on Monday. Father Jose Maria Ruiz Furlan, known as "Padre Chemita," was removed from his parish and transferred to a spiritial retreat in Spain for having ignored Vatican orders to not participate in the last elections for Guatemala City mayor. Padre Chemita's followers called for the lifting of sanctions against the priest. Father Ruiz Furlan has been linked to the extreme right wing in Guatemala. Among his activities outside the priesthood, he owns various houses and has a travel agency which offers trips to the Holy Land. He has also run for mayor of Guatemala City during the last three elections. On Tuesday Archbishop Prospero Penados announced that the Catholic Church will issue a decree to suspend Father Ruiz's right to perform as a priest for failing to voluntarily turn over his parish. Archbishop Penados emphasized that the action is in accordance with the will of Pope John Paul II, and that Father Ruiz Furlan has been warned since last November to renounce his priesthood or stop participating in politics. ***************** In the U.S. and Canada subscribe to Weekly Briefs by sending check or money order to: ANI PO Box 28481 Seattle, WA 98118 Subscription fees in the U.S. and Canada: $9 for 3 months, $18 for 6 months, $36 for one year. Elsewhere, contact: CERIGUA Apartado Postal 74206 CP 09080 Delegacion Itzapalapa Mexico, D.F. Telephone: 5102320 - FAX 5109061 - Telex (17) 64525 Also please send us your comments and suggestions to the Seattle address or by email to cerisea on PeaceNet.