Guatemala: Organized
Crime Bully Polls
The possibility that
drug money penetrated
the election drive rise
as powerful threat to
the elections in
Guatemala and concern of
social and political
organizations.
The alarm relates to
over 40 slain candidates
or their relatives and
huge sums used in
promotion for the
September 9 election of
one president, one vice
president, 158
legislators and 332
majors.
Rigoberta Menchu,
presidential candidate
for Encuentro por
Guatemala that suffered
three attacks in August
alone, will campaign to
make the state fund the
parties' drive and evict
the Mafia.
Alvaro Colom, candidate
of forerunner Unidad
Nacional de la Esperanza
party -with the largest
number of casualties-
blamed drug trafficking,
smugglers and money
laundering for 14 UNE
murders.
Estuardo Galvez, rector
of San Carlos
University, said the
murders confirm interest
by criminal groups to
penetrate state
political bodies.
He also called not to
vote for suspects with
links with criminal
groups, as part of the
crusade "If you vote for
criminals, you are also
a criminal."
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