The baby was discovered alive the day before in a cardboard box. The doctor's three children are now in the custody of their maternal grandparents. Although violent crime in Guatemala continues at alarming rates, authorities claim that at least in the capital the situation is improving. According to police figures, homicides in Guatemala City during the last six months have dropped by almost one third compared to the same period last year. Nonetheless the number of deaths in the city by fire arms or other weapons continue at a rate of about two per day, police report.
Former guerrillas are one step closer to registering their fledgling political party.
Unlike in neighboring El Salvador, at the end of the civil war here the ex-guerrillas were not converted by decree into a legal political party, but agreed to comply with all the steps required by Guatemalan electoral laws. These include establishing party branches in 60 of the nation's 330 municipalities, and 12 of the 22 provinces. The URNG reports that the former rebels have held 80 municipal and 14 provincial assemblies, and have nascent party structures in 111 municipalities in 16 provinces. They still fall some 600 short of meeting the required minimum of 4,126 adherents. URNG rebels disarmed and demobilized just over a year ago.