The statement contrasts the recent lone death of the police officer with the 39 campesinos who were killed and 13 who were disappeared during similar incidents at El Tablero and a farm in neighboring Sacachum in January 1982. The statement also condemned the death of Roberto Felipe Velasquez Lopez who was killed by police bullets during the recent eviction attempt. Looming Bus Strike Boosts Plans for Municipal Service Guatemala City, April 28. A partial shut down of Guatemala City's bus service last week prompted Mayor Oscar Berger to announce the launching of a city-run service. Bus companies pulled some 800 units from the street April 25 to pressure the government to increase the subsidy they receive in exchange for maintaining bus fares at a fixed rate.
Company owners argue that escalating fuel prices have made turning a profit impossible.
But Berger disagrees, and said that by August a city-owned bus service will be running. Berger said the private companies are inefficient, do not maintain their units and have brought the population to the brink of chaos. And Congress is currently studying a bill to approve an additional subsidy of four million dollars. Perennial attempts by the privately owned but government subsidized bus companies to raise their fares has traditionally sparked city-wide riots and clashes with police. In 1994 an illegal fare hike provoked riots and protests and resulted in the death of university student Mario Alioto Sanchez Lopez, who was beaten and shot by police.