NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18/NN_1992_18.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/5744

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
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Subject: Guatemala: Cerigua Briefs AUGUST 2 - 8, 1992
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Date: 12 Aug 92 22:32:57 GMT
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/** reg.guatemala: 81.0 **/
** Topic: Cerigua Weekly Briefs **
** Written 11:52 pm  Aug 11, 1992 by cerisea in cdp:reg.guatemala **
CERIGUA WEEKLY BRIEFS, AUGUST 2 - 8, 1992

Few Results from Latest Round of Peace Talks

After five days of negotiating, the Serrano government and
the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) only
reached a partial agreement on the civil patrols.  At the end
of the August 3-7 meeting in Mexico City, the government said
it will not "promote or give weapons to new voluntary civil
defense committees as long as nothing happens to motivate
such actions."  Also, negotiators agreed the Human Rights
Ombudsman Office will investigate any complaints that
question the patrols' voluntary and lawful nature.  Finally,
both sides agreed the civil patrols will be open for
discussion under other topics.  URNG leader Rolando Moran
said negotiators will discuss the abolition of the patrols
when the demilitarization of the society comes up on the
agenda.

Government delegate Amilcar Burgos said "the guerrillas would
like to see the voluntary self-defense patrols dismantled
while they [guerrillas] remain armed.  From the government's
point of view this is irrational."  URNG leader Pablo
Monsanto, however, rejected the attempt to equate
demobilization of the PACs and the guerrilla forces.

The partial agreement on the civil patrols was the only
concrete result from this round of talks although the agenda
included finishing two other human rights issues, discussing
citizen participation in the peace process and deciding how
to proceed with the negotiations.  Peace mediator Rodolfo
Quezada announced negotiators will meet again at the end of
August to continue discussing human rights.

Citizens Push for Role

On the second day of the talks representatives of 77 citizen
groups arrived at Hotel del Prado where negotiators were
meeting to ask for their direct participation in the peace
process.  Members of the government and URNG delegations,
Bishop Rodolfo Quezada and UN observer Jean Arnault received
the citizens' proposal.  The citizen groups say they want to
contribute to reaching concrete solutions, although they do
not expect to participate on the same level as the government
and URNG.  They want to submit proposals for each topic
discussed and name representatives to attend the peace talks
as observers to guarantee that their proposals are taken into
consideration.

In its opening statement for this round of talks, the URNG
said it believes negotiators must give citizens' proposals a
place in the negotiating process.  The government did not
make a public statement on the issue.

Those presenting the citizen proposal were Rosalina Tuyuc
of the Guatemalan Widows Coordinating Committee (CONAVIGUA),
Otto Peralta of the University Students Association (AEU),
Carlos Choc of the refugees' Permanent Commissions, Alejandro
Batz representing Mayan groups, Ruben Mejia representing non-
governmental organizations, Factor Mendez of the Center of
Investigation, Study and Promotion of Human Rights
(CIEPRODH), and David Son Turnil representing religious
groups.

In statements to the press Factor Mendez of CIEPRODH said a
civilian government in power has not significantly changed
the human rights situation, since the methods used by the
security forces are the same.  Mendez identified the police,
army, paramilitary groups such as the civil patrols (PAC),
and civilian agents working for the army as those responsible
for extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and
torture.  Mendez said another violation of human rights is
expressed in the extreme level of poverty which, he added,
could lead to an uncontrollable situation for the government.

Government Brings Other Proposals

Before the latest round began, the government proposed
holding a permanent session until a final peace agreement is
signed.  The URNG, however, rejected the pressure for a fast
track approach, saying the contents of the negotiations are
far more important than how rapidly they progress.  The
government also proposed opening a parallel discussion on
guerrilla demobilization while other topics are negotiated.
URNG leader Gaspar Ilom, on the other hand, said "in case
someone still does not understand, in no way are we looking
for an honorable surrender."  Ilom emphasized that the
insurgency's objective is to find solutions to the country's
problems.  The two government proposals were tabled until the
next round of talks.

Level of Government Delegation Questioned

The Mexican daily newspapers La Jornada and El Financiero
commented that not one of the civilians on the government
delegation holds an important post in the Serrano government.
In fact, Manuel Conde was removed as General Secretary of the
President's Office and named "chairman of the peace
commission," Manolo Bendfeldt is no longer the Development
Minister but is referred to as a presidential advisor; and
Fernando Hurtado just resigned as Interior Minister.  The
other civilians are two other presidential advisors--Luis
Asensio, a personal friend of Serrano, and Amilcar Burgos.

When asked what he thought about the level of the government
delegation, URNG leader Monsanto said what matters is that
the "real power" is represented.  Monsanto was apparently
referring to the five army generals attending this round of
talks.  They were Mario Enriquez, Assistant Army Chief
of Staff; Julio Balconi, Director of the Military School for
Officer Training; Rafael Rossito, Army Inspector General;
Enrique Pineda, Commander of the Army General Headquarters;
and Marco Antonio Gonzalez, Defense Ministry advisor.

Editorial Sums up the Issues

An editorial in the Mexican daily El Dia said negotiations
will move forward only if the government and the URNG
acknowledge that neither has been able to defeat the other.
Believing that one side must admit defeat will only block any
possibility for negotiating, the editorial continued, and
suggests that civil war is the only means to settle the
matter.  El Dia said both sides must recognize they are in a
negotiation process, which by definition implies both must
make concessions.  Finally, the August 4 editorial concluded
that negotiators will achieve peace for Guatemala only by
eliminating the causes of the war.

Urrutia Leaves Country

The Archbishop's Human Rights Office announced that guerrilla
Maritza Urrutia left Guatemala for the United States on
August 7.  Notisiete TV aired the report after days of
speculation on whether Urrutia was still in the country.  The
Archbishop's office said Urrutia left on a private flight and
was accompanied by her brother Edmundo Urrutia.

As reported in the last Weekly Briefs, Urrutia said she
decided to seek amnesty, while university, religious and
human rights figures backed the initial press reports that
she was kidnapped.  Radio Independiente's editorial on August
5 commented that national and international pressure saved
Urrutia's life, but was not sufficient to bring the facts to
light.  A commentator for the daily El Grafico said one video
and one press conference were not enough to convince the
public that she freely sought amnesty, adding that all
evidence points to a "Guatemalan-style kidnapping."  Outgoing
Interior Minister Fernando Hurtado told the daily Prensa
Libre that there are various discrepancies in the case which
"require a future explanation."

CPRs Denounce Army Actions

The Communities in Resistance (CPR) in Ixcan, Quiche
denounced army actions against the Pueblo Nuevo, Cuarto
Pueblo, Los Angeles and Mayalan settlements.  The CPR in
Ixcan says the army fired approximately 40 shells at the
settlements from nearby army garrisons on July 16-17, and the
following week three army planes and a helicopter bombed and
machine-gunned two of the settlements.  The CPR says the army
also destroyed community fields of corn, rice and other
crops, and left eight grenades set to explode in the fields.
Campesinos Say Government Backing Down
Campesinos demanding the return of their land, now part of
the Pampas del Horizonte plantation, say government
authorities have given in to pressure from landowner Mariano
Arevalo.  A campesino leader said over Notisiete TV on August
5 that authorities do not want to re-survey the disputed land
to determine the appropriate boundaries between the Pampas
and Arevalo's Coatunco plantation because Arevalo is against
the measure.  "We think it's a sad situation," the campesino
leader said, "when a rich person decides what authorities
will do."

Legislator Juan Alfaro commented this week that the
government should re-survey all privately-owned plantations.
In the report over Radio Independiente, Alfaro said a new
survey would prove that many individuals are using land they
do not own.  A lot of public land is in the hands of
individuals, Alfaro charged.

Bomb Found in Theater

Students presenting a play on human rights were the target of
a bomb threat, Radio Independiente reported August 5.  The
students at the Western University Center (CUNOC) in
Quetzaltenango say an anonymous caller warned them a bomb had
been placed in the theater.  Police found the bomb hidden in
a plastic container and deactivated it.  The students say
that despite the warning, they will continue to present the
play, "no matter what the price."

Catholic Church Gives Position on Refugees

Catholic Church spokesman Edwin Garcia said the unstable
atmosphere in Guatemala makes a mass return of refugees
living in Mexico difficult.  The refugees hope to find peace
and tranquility in Guatemala, Father Garcia said, but that is
not what they find.  Garcia reiterated the Church's position
that conditions for the refugees' return have not been met.
Serrano said he disagrees, and announced he will meet soon
with Church representatives to discuss the refugee situation.

Myrna Mack's Work Published

A book entitled "Donde esta el futuro?--Proceso de
reintegracion en comunidades de retornados" based on research
by murdered anthropologist Myrna Mack is now in print.  Mack
was investigating the return of Guatemalans internally
displaced by the army's counterinsurgency operations to their
home communities in the Quiche province when she was murdered
in September 1990.  The Association for the Advancement of
Social Sciences in Guatemala (AVANCSO) and the University of
San Carlos (USAC) published the book.  It was presented
to Mack's family in a ceremony August 7 on the USAC campus.
*****************
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** End of text from cdp:reg.guatemala **