DPA October Instructor Profile: Darren Hauck in Guatemala

Guatemala Elections

Caught between picture perfect mountains, and traditional Maya culture to many it’s a tourist dream, but to the majority of those who live there it’s a daily struggle between violence and daily living.

Being a major layover for Colombian cocaine on its way to the United States, Guatemala has gained one of the highest homicide rates in the world, with almost 6,000 people killed in the country of 13 million last years.

Poverty runs wild especially in the countryside and with a government based on extortions, crime, drugs and gangs mainly M.S. 13 and 18th life is not easy. The majority of people are kind souls stuck in a situation that leaves little hope, at least in the near future.

The countries elections were set for Sept. 9th 2007. The two main contenders, Alvaro Colom, whose campaigns are filled with drug lords and ex-Gen. Otto Perez Molina, Molina whose campaign symbol is a clenched fist brings back many memories to previous regimes of strong handed power and Colom and his ties to drug world has corruption written all over. Two great choices huh?

The campaign season has been one of the most bloody since the civil war ended in 1996 with drug gangs and political rivals killing 50 people in the campaign so far. The elections are reset for Nov. 4th with no clear leader yet.

I will be heading back to work more on this country that I first worked in back in 2005 and have continued to and will for some time. The people are amazing, the views extraordinary, and the struggle seems to be not ending anytime soon.