From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Guatemala: Cerigua Briefs AUGUST 16 - 22, 1992
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 02:14:17 GMT

/** reg.guatemala: 79.0 **/
** Topic: Cerigua Weekly Briefs **
** Written 10:19 pm  Aug 24, 1992 by cerisea in cdp:reg.guatemala **
WEEKLY BRIEFS, AUGUST 16 - 22, 1992
Serrano Tells US Attache to Leave

According to the Mexican daily
****************************Excelsior, President Jorge
Serrano is demanding the departure of US embassy political
advisor George Chester.  Serrano warns that if Chester does
not leave the country, he will be declared "persona non
grata."  *******************************Excelsior on August
21 quoted unidentified diplomatic sources who said the
problem is related to former guerrilla Maritza Urrutia, who
recently left Guatemala for the United States.  Chester
apparently helped Urrutia obtain a visa to leave the country,
and  stated she had not turned herself for amnesty, as
Guatemalan military officials claim, but was kidnapped.  (See
the last three issues of Weekly Briefs for more about
Urrutia.)

The US embassy declined to comment further on the matter,
according to the report, but said that if the diplomat is
expelled, there will be serious consequences.

Peace Negotiations Resume

Representatives from the government, army and the Guatemalan
National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) began a new round of
peace talks in Mexico City on August 22.  Negotiators are to
finish the human rights issue, discuss citizen participation
and decide how to keep the talks going.  Labor leader Byron
Morales blamed both sides for trying to keep citizens on the
sidelines, calling this unacceptable.  Morales represents the
labor committee, one of several that has organized to gain a
place in the talks.

URNG Commander Pablo Monsanto commented on the makeup of the
government-army delegation in an interview with CERIGUA
before the current round of talks began.  Monsanto says those
members of the negotiating team that are civilian lack
political experience and are present to defend economic
interests.  The army generals, on the other hand, hold
powerful positions in the army leadership.  These are taking
political stances that correspond to the army's strategic
concerns.  The URNG leader says the civilians defer to the
generals in making decisions at the table.

New Civil Patrol Formed

The army has formed a new civil patrol in the Flores Costa
Cuco municipality of Quetzaltenango province, the daily
******************************El Grafico reported August 19.
Sixty civilians were sworn in by the commander of the nearby
military base, who also issued eighteen 30-caliber rifles to
the new patrol.
Residents of Flores Costa Cuco told one reporter they believe
the patrol was formed at the local mayor's request.  The
mayor is accused by residents of corruption to a degree that
affects public service, especially availability of potable
water.

In the last round of peace talks the Guatemalan government
agreed to stop "promoting and arming" new civil patrols "as
long as nothing happens to motivate such actions."  The
agreement does not technically go into effect until
negotiators reach consensus on all human rights issues, and
as Amilcar Mendez of the Council of Ethnic Communities (CERJ)
pointed out, it fails to specify how the army will define
what qualifies as proper motivation.

US to Investigate Labor Abuses

The United States government announced August 17 that for the
first time it will investigate labor rights abuses in
Guatemala to determine whether US trade benefits should be
suspended.  The action comes in response to two petitions
filed in June by US religious, human rights and labor
organizations.  The petitions document widespread violations
of basic workers rights in Guatemala.  Such petitions have
been filed for the last six years, but none has previously
been accepted for review.  This year, 73 members of Congress
signed letters urging US trade representative Carla Hills to
review the petitions (See Weekly Briefs, August 9-15).

Stephen Coats of the US/Guatemala Labor Education Project,
one of the petitioners, said "We trust that over the next few
months the Guatemalan government and business sector will
take the steps necessary to avoid suspension of trade
benefits.  If they respect the internationally-recognized
rights of Guatemalan workers, especially the right to freedom
of organization and a liveable wage, a cut-off of benefits
will not happen."  Hearings will be held in Washington,
probably in October, and by April 1, 1993 the US government
will announce its decision, either to suspend duty-free trade
benefits, maintain Guatemala under review for a second year,
or reject the petitions.

More Victims of Violence

A man who was related to several of the campesinos killed in
the El Aguacate massacre was himself murdered this week.  The
local press reported August 21 that the body of Lazaro
Gutierrez Callejas was found with multiple gunshot wounds.
The 22 people murdered in the November 1988 massacre were
from San Andres Itzapa, Chimaltenango.

A well-known marimba composer was also found dead.  Eighty-
eight year old Fabian Bethancourt disappeared mysteriously on
August 15 from a street in central Quetzaltenango.  His bodywas found several days later showing signs of having been
strangled and beaten.  Bethancourt served as the director of
the Quetzaltenango Marimba School.

Electrical Workers Protest Firing

Workers at the Guatemalan electric company protested the
illegal firing of a fellow worker by temporarily cutting
electricity in the capital,
*****************************Notisiete TV reported August 18.
An earlier action took place on August 13 when a group of
employees halted work.  The intent was to press for the re-
hiring of the employee they say was fired without just cause
and without due severance pay.  The workers say they intend
to continue the interruptions because company officials are
not responding to their demands.

Hunapu Forces Threaten Street Kids

Amnesty International has denounced mistreatment of two of
Guatemala City's street kids by security forces.  The human
rights group reported August 13 that street children Byron
Geovanni Castillo and Jose Chicajua were beaten and
threatened by one National Police agent and one Treasury
Police agent.  According to the report, the officers beat the
two boys and poured glue in their hair.  One of the officers
reportedly said "go to hell and don't come back, because if
we see you again, we're going to kill you."  An hour after
the agents left them, the two boys saw the two agents in a
Hunapu patrol.  The Hunapu forces combine National Police,
Treasury Police and Military Mobile Police and are commanded
by the army.  Amnesty International is asking the
international community to protest the abuse and demand a
government investigation.

Stay of Execution Requested for Mass Murderer

The Archbishop's Office on Human Rights sent a plea to
President Serrano to spare the life of convicted murderer
Nicolas Gutierrez, scheduled to be executed August 18.  A
civilian court handed down the death sentence to the
discharged soldier for the January 17 massacre at Ciudad
Peronia.  The Church says no one has the right to take the
life of another human being.

According to the United Representation of the Guatemalan
Opposition (RUOG),  Gutierrez is a scapegoat for the military
officers responsible for the crime.  RUOG called for
suspension of the death penalty, saying Gutierrez is the
subject of discrimination and his military superiors have not
been taken to task.

Following the August 12 acquittal of six members of the armedforces for last year's murder of 11 persons at Taxisco,
congressman Clodoveo Dominguez also charged discrimination
against the soldier, saying that in Guatemala only the poor
are sentenced to death.

Workers Say Government Reneging on Agreements

Labor leader Armando Sanchez says the government has failed
to comply with agreements signed July 21 to end the state
employees' strike for salary increases.  Sanchez charges that
the government has not paid strike benefits to non-salaried
workers employed under state contracts or to employees of
autonomous and decentralized state agencies.

Sanchez is a leader of the FENASTEG federation of state
workers' unions.  He told the daily
******************************************El Grafico that
workers will take concrete actions if the government refuses
to respect negotiated agreements.

Police Agents Protest Plan

National Police agents are angry over a plan they say the
government has to militarize the police force.  A group of
police agents filed a complaint with the Human Rights
Ombudsman Office, according to the local press.  The plan
would involve the use of military-style sanctions and
practices, treating the police officers as if they were
members of the army.

Presidential spokesman Arturo Alvarado denied such a plan
exists.  He said some army officials, who participated in
security courses with Chile's carabinero police force, are
assisting the police force in "human rights matters" in an
effort to "professionalize" the force.  Alvarado added that
the army officers have a "perfect knowledge of human rights
and the obligation to respect them."

Update on Human Rights Abuses

The Guatemalan Human Rights Commission (GHRC) reports 1,111
serious human rights violations in 1992 through August 10.
In its recent report on human rights abuses, GHRC reports 373
extrajudicial executions, 72 of which showed evidence of
torture.  Fifty victims were disappeared, 321 persons were
arbitrarily detained, and 283 persons were attacked.  Also
during the same period, 102 persons received death threats.

*****************

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*****************

** End of text from cdp:reg.guatemala **

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