by the El Reportero’s wire services
Otto Pérez Molina
Guatemalan analysts believe the government of Otto Perez is now facing the worst political crisis of his nine months in office, following the recent clash between soldiers and peasants with six dead and over 30 injured. Certainly, what happened in the southwestern department of Totonicapan last October 4 has placed the Otto Perez government at its worst political moment, criticized former deputy Anibal Garcia.
In Garcia’s view, this is a crisis caused by the government itself, because “with its repressive measures, it has only managed to revive people’s fear of the Army, as in times of armed conflict,” noted the former parlamentarian, as quoted by the media. (http://www.s21.com.gt)
Luis Linares from the Association for Research and Social Studies, considered the October 4 riots at Kilometer 170 of the Inter-American highway a critical moment for the current administration.
In that sense, Linares called for the executive branch to have more consistency in its strategy to achieve “a change in the way it addresses social problems, because the conflict comes from unmet needs.”
Says Latin News: Chávez triumphs but Capriles could ultimately be the victor
It was closer – but the Venezuelan opposition remains unable to answer the electoral phenomenon that is President Hugo Chávez. Chávez will be the longest-serving democratically elected head of state in Latin American history if he completes his term in 2019. Chávez ran out a comfortable winner with 8.1m votes and an 11-percentage point advantage over his rival Henrique Capriles Radonski. He took all but two of the country’s 23 states. Capriles, however, won his electoral spurs, taking 6.5m votes, far more than previous challengers. If poor health prevents Chávez from finishing his term, Capriles would be in pole position to capitalise in fresh elections.
Mexican immigration plan causes concern in Honduras
The announcement of a new Immigration policy by the future Mexican government in its southern border is cause of concern to Hondurans, who in increasing numbers cross that country to reach the United States in search of opportunities.
The measure, disclosed by Arnulfo Valdivia, coordinator of immigration issues of the transition team of the future Mexican government, was released by the newspaper La Prensa and immediately received comments.
Valdivia said the new administration headed by President-elected, Enrique Peña Nieto, expects to install 10 migratory posts in the border with Guatemala to control entries to Mexico.
According to that plan, all Guatemalans who want to work legally in the border states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche and Quintana Roo can do it properly documented, in order to regularize the labor market.
Organizations that defend Honduran migrantsâÖ rights expressed their concern to the newspaper La Prensa and they think the measure has an undercurrent and violates human rights.
They think that if that plan is implemented, the Central American countriesâÖ fight to promote respect for undocumented peopleâÖs rights will be wasted. (Prensa Latina contributed to this report).
