Guatemala´s
Colom Urges to Fight
Violence
GUATEMALA- Guatemala´s
President Alvaro Colom
urged society to take
exceptional actions to
fight insecurity and
violence caused by years
of neglect.
Speaking at a news
conference, the
president referred to a
meeting with political
party leaders to analyze
the presence of
organized crime and its
consequences.
"Guatemala's security is
dying in an intensive
care room and
exceptional actions must
be taken to recover the
remains and the people's
trust and credibility,"
he noted.
Some people and
authorities, he said, do
not dare denounce
illegal actions or
corruption, because they
mistrust everyone.
"We are, in a brave and
staunch way,
acknowledging a reality
that we receive in a
total disaster, and a
disastrous and weak
security system," he
added.
The government asked
Parliament to approve a
one-billion-dollar
budget to strengthen and
professionalize the
ministers of Interior
and Defense.
According to official
data, during the first
seven months of this
year, Guatemala saw more
than 22,500 criminal
acts committed,
including nearly 3,00
homicides committed with
firearms. |
