Crime in Guatemala
Encyclopedia
Rates of crime in Guatemala are very high. "Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America. In 2009, approximately 25 murders a week were reported in Guatemala City alone."
In the 1990s Guatemala had four cities feature in Latin America's top ten cities by murder rate: Escuintla
(165 per 100,000), Izabal (127), Santa Rosa Cuilapa (111) and Guatemala City
(101).
According to New Yorker magazine, in 2009, fewer civilians were reported killed in the war zone of Iraq than were shot, stabbed, or beaten to death in Guatemala, and 97% of homicides "remain unsolved."
The high rate of murder has been blamed on "a highly powerful criminal cartel", made up of politically-connected retired military officers and linking with drug traffickers and other criminals. Following the end of Guatemalan Civil War
in 1996, a general amnesty was granted
"for even the worst crimes, leaving no one accountable".
The Guatemalan "security apparatus — death squads, intelligence units, police officers, military counter-insurgency forces — did not disappear but, rather, mutated into criminal organizations," and now are engaged "in arms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, human smuggling, black-market adoptions, and kidnapping for ransom," and drug trade.
Some high profile murders revealed or suspected to be the work of the cartel include that of Catholic Bishop Juan José Gerardi Conedera
, beaten to death in 1998, two days after the conclusion of an inquiry he had led into the violence of the civil war. The inquiry had blamed the Guatemalan army for 90% of the war's 200,000 killings. Gerardi also found links between the military and the illegal drug trade in Guatemala
, providing an additional motivation. In 1997 a large group of active military figures, including the deputy Minister of Defense, were found to be involved with the Colombian Cali cartel
's smuggling efforts.
Khalil Musa, a wealthy Lebanese immigrant businessman, and his daughter Marjorie Musa, who were shot and killed in April 2009. Khalil Musa reportedly knew president Álvaro Colom
, an advisor of whom told an American journalist that, “if the Musas could be killed, there was a sense that anyone [in Guatemala] could be.”
In the 1990s Guatemala had four cities feature in Latin America's top ten cities by murder rate: Escuintla
Escuintla
Escuintla is a city in south central Guatemala. It is the capital of the Escuintla Department and the administrative seat of Escuintla Municipality....
(165 per 100,000), Izabal (127), Santa Rosa Cuilapa (111) and Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
(101).
According to New Yorker magazine, in 2009, fewer civilians were reported killed in the war zone of Iraq than were shot, stabbed, or beaten to death in Guatemala, and 97% of homicides "remain unsolved."
The high rate of murder has been blamed on "a highly powerful criminal cartel", made up of politically-connected retired military officers and linking with drug traffickers and other criminals. Following the end of Guatemalan Civil War
Guatemalan Civil War
The Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960-1996. The thirty-six-year civil war began as a grassroots, popular response to the rightist and military usurpation of civil government , and the President's disrespect for the human and civil rights of the majority of the population...
in 1996, a general amnesty was granted
"for even the worst crimes, leaving no one accountable".
The Guatemalan "security apparatus — death squads, intelligence units, police officers, military counter-insurgency forces — did not disappear but, rather, mutated into criminal organizations," and now are engaged "in arms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, human smuggling, black-market adoptions, and kidnapping for ransom," and drug trade.
Some high profile murders revealed or suspected to be the work of the cartel include that of Catholic Bishop Juan José Gerardi Conedera
Juan José Gerardi Conedera
Monsignor Juan José Gerardi Conedera was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights defender who was beaten to death two days after releasing a report on victims of the Guatemalan Civil War.-Early life:...
, beaten to death in 1998, two days after the conclusion of an inquiry he had led into the violence of the civil war. The inquiry had blamed the Guatemalan army for 90% of the war's 200,000 killings. Gerardi also found links between the military and the illegal drug trade in Guatemala
Illegal drug trade in Guatemala
The illegal drug trade in Guatemala includes trans-shipment of cocaine to the United States. According to some reports, Mexican drug cartels such as Sinaloa have also established poppy growing operations there. There is a reported relationship between the Mexican Los Zetas cartel and the Guatemalan...
, providing an additional motivation. In 1997 a large group of active military figures, including the deputy Minister of Defense, were found to be involved with the Colombian Cali cartel
Cali Cartel
The Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño...
's smuggling efforts.
Khalil Musa, a wealthy Lebanese immigrant businessman, and his daughter Marjorie Musa, who were shot and killed in April 2009. Khalil Musa reportedly knew president Álvaro Colom
Álvaro Colom
Álvaro Colom Caballeros is the President of Guatemala for the 2008–2012 term and leader of the social-democratic National Unity of Hope .-Early years:...
, an advisor of whom told an American journalist that, “if the Musas could be killed, there was a sense that anyone [in Guatemala] could be.”