Guatemala News in Brief

Some recent Guatemala news stories of interest:

• Colom cites government's progress in education, health, and the battle against violence in Guatemalan President Reports on Performance and President Upbeat on Economic Recovery in Guatemala

• Haggling a tradition in Guatemala

• Guatemalan President Calls For Unity

• During the same week that CICIG makes progress on the Rosenberg case, its Trial against Ex Guatemala President Stopped.

• Colom confident on Guatemalan war on drugs: It's an odd title, given that the war on drugs was only one part of the FT article.  Furthermore, the only reason Guatemala should be confident with regards to the war on drugs is that the vacuum that was created last year by the coup in Honduras most likely led traffickers to redirect their drug smuggling routes through the country where security broke down.

• CICIG: Guatemala is dying: A CICIG "representative was emphatic when indicating that if the suggestions, which range from legal reforms to infrastructure and resources to fight against impunity, are neglected, things won't change in Guatemala."  I had heard that members of the economic elite were simply going to wait out the Colom years in hopes that the economic climate will improve once the "center-left" president leaves office.  Now it looks like congress is going to wait out the next two year's of CICIG's mandate.

• Guatemala to Publish Bidding Rules for Oil Blocks by Next Week

• Chicago volunteers visit Guatemala to help people walk