Demonstrators in Guatemala set off-duty army soldier on fire

GUATEMALA CITY, November 17th, 2015 (EFE) A Guatemalan army soldier suffered burns over 40 percent of his body after being doused with gasoline and set on fire by a group of demonstrators, the spokesman for that institution told EFE.

The soldier went into a state of shock, but doctors expect to stabilize his condition in the coming hours, Hugo Rodriguez added.

He said the attack occurred in the southwestern province of Retalhuleu, where some 150 people belonging to a “mototaxi association” were protesting against the daily extortions they suffer.

The victim, identified as Julio Ortiz Ordoñez, was off duty at the time and had stopped to observe the demonstration when he was doused with gasoline and set ablaze.

The assailants attacked him after “confusing him with someone,” Rodriguez told EFE.

Ortiz, a 27-year-old who has been a member of the army’s Southern Air Command for three years, was flown from the hospital in Retalhuleu to the Military Medical Center in Guatemala City.

The spokesman said the incident was an “isolated” occurrence but that the army would recommend that its personnel distance themselves from similar demonstrations in the future to avoid being a target of aggression.

Authorities have not reported any arrests thus far.

Guatemala’s army currently has a force of 22,500 soldiers.