Guatemala Fighting Organized Crime
The new anti-organized crime law in Guatemala has earned broad criticism due to loopholes in its wording, reduced penalties for serious crimes and authorization of special privileges for law enforcement officers.

Although it was meant to meet a national demand to fight growing domestic organized crime, its content invalidates its true purpose.

Car theft and trafficking and illegal property were excluded at first but later included as organized crime trading in cars stolen overseas short to its approval.

Car theft, one of the most common and most violent crimes in Guatemala, included in 2005 nearly 8,500 cases, 70 percent with firearms and still unsolved.

The original law did not target the sale of goods of illegal origin and the law limited punishment to custom´s traffic.

Serious crimes like drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder will enjoy substantial penalty reduction to half the previous stipulated punishment.

Human rights organizations voiced concern with the prerogatives given to law enforcement, namely police and justice officials.

The law will also okay phone tapping, plus the recording and reproduction of private conversations and copying documents that may later serve as evidence in trials.

The law also targets criminal association but that may open the door to hounding popular organizations if their actions are labeled as terrorism or to provoke public disorder.