No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveGuatemala to Add ex-Soldiers to Police

Guatemala to Add ex-Soldiers to Police

GUATEMALA CITY – Guatemala is in the process of hiring 3,000 army veterans – including both officers and enlisted men – to boost police ranks in order to better confront burgeoning violence, Defense Minister Francisco Bermúdez said last weekend.

In comments to reporters, Bermúdez rejected complaints from human rights groups that the move would “militarize” the national civil police force, known as the PNC.

Those who will be joining the police, he said, “are ordinary citizens” who no longer belong to the armed forces.

The minister said that the new police officers will make up six special contingents of 500 men each that are to be deployed in the most crime-ridden parts of Guatemala City and other urban areas.

President Oscar Berger’s administration is planning to spend nearly $12 million to augment the police force, Bermúdez said, adding that the army will oversee the hiring process.

According to the defense chief, the new cops, who will include a number of former mid-ranking military officers, are to undergo an intensive course in police work at the PNC’s academy.

Separately, Interior Minister Carlos Vielman told journalists that the 3,000 new police will be replacing some 2,500 officers booted from the force for misconduct and involvement in criminal activity.

Berger has acknowledged the failure of Guatemala’s security forces to control the surge in violence, which he blames largely on gangs and organized crime bands that are often better-armed than police.

So far in 2006, Guatemala’s murder rate has risen from an already horrendous 14.6 a day to 16 every 24 hours (NT, Feb. 10).

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Hyatt Centric Escazú Finalist in GRI Awards

Costa Rica's hotel scene keeps building momentum on the global stage. The Hyatt Centric San José Escazú stands out as a finalist for Best...

Costa Rica Proposes Date for Chaves Immunity Review

Costa Rica's lawmakers took a step forward today in addressing the latest push to strip President Rodrigo Chaves of his legal protections. The Legislative...

Costa Rica Nominates Rebeca Grynspan for UN Secretary-General Role

Costa Rica has put forward Rebeca Grynspan as its candidate for United Nations secretary-general, a move that highlights the nation's push for stronger Latin...

Family Beach Day in Costa Rica Exploring Tidepools and Wildlife

My two sons couldn’t be more different. They look completely different. They act completely differently. They eat different foods. They have different interests. This...

Costa Rica Approves Extradition of Ex-Minister Gamboa and Associates

A Costa Rican court has approved the extradition of former Security Minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez to the United States on charges of international cocaine...

Heavy Rains in Costa Rica Trigger Landslides and Floods

Costa Rica faces tough conditions lately from ongoing heavy rains that have sparked deadly landslides and major flooding over the last few days. In...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica