Guatemala News - August 3, 2011

by All-About-Guatemala.com Roving Reporter
(Guatemala City, Guatemala)

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Guatemala City – “Tribunal Primero A de Alto Riesgo” (First Court A of High Risk) condemned 4 ex-Kaibiles, guilty of the massacre of Petén in which 201 people were killed, in 1982, during the Civil War. The Kaibiles are a special operations force of the military of Guatemala, which specializes in jungle warfare tactics and counter-insurgency operations. 29 years after the massacre, three sub-inspectors and one lieutenant from the Kaibil School in Poptún, Petén, were finally given 50 years of prison at the Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia, CSJ). The people from the audience did a standing ovation while shouting that justice was being ensured.

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Guatemala City – Yesterday, the 9th avenue, between the 13th street and the Roosevelt road, in zone 11 came to be “Bulevar 2 de agosto de 1954” (“August 2nd, 1954” Boulevard) in honor of the young cadets who died while fighting the government forces of Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, president during that epoch. In the middle border, there is a gravestone to remind people of the three cadets and the soldier who died in that same site, which used to be a big uninhabited field. Many people attended the inauguration, including various retired military officers who were part of that battle, accompanied by martial hymns. Even though the young cadets did manage to overthrow Arbenz, many were arrested, others were sent overseas, lots were expelled from the military school, and a few, who are being honored every August 2nd, were killed.

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Armenia – The U-20 Guatemalan Soccer Team will play this afternoon against Saudi Arabia. Coach Almeida has not been wasting time since the last match; these past few days, the players have been kept busy with a strong daily practice. This is basically their last hope to move on to the next round of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, so, if they let their nerves take control over them again, the result will be the same as with Nigeria, a humiliating 5-0, or worse. Even though this team didn’t have a great start, it is necessary to point out that this is the first time in history that Guatemala qualifies for a World Cup, in other words, Guatemalans do have a reason to be proud of this team.

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Guatemala City – With the drawing of lots it was decided that the two substitute magistrates at the Constitutional Court to be added to Sandra Torres’ hearing would be Hector Trujillo Aldana and Juan Carlos Medina Salas. Other members of the Court are dubious of this decision, due to the fact that Trujillo had been her personal lawyer when she was first Lady in various public cases, such as the formal complaint that was presented by congress-woman Roxana Baldetti last year. Another person that is making people tremble with fear is Gloria Porras Escobar, who was named by President Álvaro Colom, Torres’ ex-husband, as part of the CC. Regarding this situation, Carmen Aída Ibarra, from “Movimiento Pro Justicia” (Pro Justice Movement), expressed the following: “Our strongest concern is the participation of Trujillo. The other one is Porras’, but we give her the benefit of the doubt and hope she, as well as the rest of the magistrates, resolve this case according to the Constitution.”

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Guatemala City – The presidential candidates for political party “Frente Amplio” (Broad Front) received their credentials that officialize their candidatures on behalf of the Chief of the department of Political Organizations of the Supreme Electoral Court (Tribunal Supremo Electoral, TSE), Francisco García Cuyún, and the Director of the Citizen Registry, Miguel Ángel Solís. It is important to mention that, 39 days away of Election Day, they are the 8th party to be able to participate in elections. Too bad the other 17 candidates, including Sandra Torres (UNE) and Harold Caballeros (VIVA), haven’t been registered yet.

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