Guatemalan President
Promises To Fight
Insecurity
Guatemala -
Guatemalan President
Alvaro Colom said his
government"s greatest
challenge this year is
to strengthen security
forces, including both
the police and the army.
"This is a plan already
presented to some
sectors and we hope to
put it in place by
January 30," the
president said in an
interview with the
state-radio station TGW.
Colom admitted that
fighting violence, a
problem neglected by two
previous administration,
is the most pressing
issue in his government.
"That perception of
insecurity is real, it
is correct. But a
president cannot solve
in 11 months what was
not done in eight
years," he said.
Crime hiked in 2008 due
to the presence of
Mexican drug
traffickers, who were
responsible for three
massacres in eastern and
western Guatemala.
The number of
assassinations exceeded
6,200, accounting for a
daily average of 18
homicides, more than in
2007, according to
statistics from the
National Civil Police.
Colom said institutions
will be strengthened,
general chaos will be
eliminated, the police
will be purged, and new
officers will be
trained.
"I hope citizens will
see the major security
actions in two or three
months, the Guatemalan
president said. |
