Guatemala Concerned over Fuel Price Increase
A fuel price raise, which led to the increase of transport fare in Guatemala, has created an environment of tension worsened by the lack of political consensus on the issue.

Despite efforts of many sectors to seek solutions to prevent fares of the transport means circulating outside Guatemala City from going up, everything seems to point to the unavoidability of the increase.

On the issue, representatives of the Transport Union and the Communication Ministry asserted they could not impede the new measure.

The quantity and date of the price raise are yet to be set because entrepreneurs agreed to put it lower than 32 percent.

"It will be a gradual process although its date has not been established," stressed Oscar Alvizures, leader of the Transport Union.

Alvizures said the fare price in the southern city of Escunintla would increment to 10 quetzals (1.33 USD) if the were a 32 percent rise, which would represent five cents (quetzal).

However, he said, as entrepreneurs will take a portion of consumables, the fare could range from seven to eight quetzals (between 0.93 and 1.06 dollars).

The topic triggered differences among Congress deputies and forced the governing National Great Alliance to approve the new regulation.

Local organizations such as the Union and People´s Action Unity and the Guatemalan Workers´ Union, and people from Escuintla have condemned the increase and demanded the government to raise wages as compensation.