Guatemala Arms Act Still
Being Debated
Guatemala - One more week has passed and Guatemala Congress
hasn’t managed to pass the controversial Arms and Ammunition Act,
demanded by society to fight crime in the country.
Even though there was a commitment of the heads of seats at Congress
to conclude the process in these days, deputies are still paralyzed
in some crucial matters, as the number of licenses for each citizen
and the actual amount of ammunition permitted.
Current regulation, dating from 20 years ago, is considered
obsolete; it allows a person to purchase even 12 pistols or
revolvers and to have an unlimited amount of munitions, with the
only requirement of some ID and not to have police criminal records.
Since 1989, some 15 initiatives have been presented to the
Legislative Authority to reform the law, but they have all failed
and many were not even read.
Parliamentarian Mario Taracena, from the National Unity of Hope,
says there is no political will and too many pressures from
enterprise sectors linked to the imports and sale of firearms and
ammunition.
A new commitment was launched on Thursday, this time before
President Alvaro Colom, to foster a legal package in terms of
security, including the arms project, but we must wait and see if it
at least gets to the legislative authority.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
