Guatemalan police officers arrested in killings

Four Guatemalan police officers have been arrested in connection with the assassination of three Salvadoran members of the Central American parliament, according to stories in the AP and elsewhere. According to news reports, the police officers all worked in the anti-gang unit of the Guatemalan national police. El Diario indicates that one of those arrested was the head of the anti-gang unit. The same El Diario story says that GPS devices, installed on Guatemalan police vehicles, provided evidence leading to the arrests.

Reports are linking the killings to organized crime in the region.

UPDATE:

Read Raul Guttierez' analysis on IPS regarding the killings and their possible links to organized crime and police corruption in the region.

Comments

Anonymous said…
From the AP article. Interesting about this farm. Hopefully it'll be followed up on...makes it seem like there could've been some contact between Salvadoran rightists and these police in the past. Why else would the police have taken them to this farm?

The article states:

The escorts had followed the men — who were traveling in three cars — from the Salvadoran border to the capital's edge, where the vehicles took different roads into the city, officials said. They were believed to have been kidnapped and then taken to a farm to be executed.

Guatemalan politician Leonel Sisniega said the farm "was a common meeting spot for Guatemalan anti-Communists who sympathized with Roberto D'Abuisson."
2:19 PM
Ashley said…
Hi Tim,
My name is Ashley. My church has a relationship with a community near Berlin, Usulutan. I have traveled there twice, this past time for 2 months in summer 2005. I also kept a blog, mostly of my personal experiences and mostly to keep in touch with family and friends. I appreciate your blog and am glad I was recently directed here by members of our church who continue to send delegations and work with other groups who do the same.
I look forward to catching up with the news about beloved El Salvador.
Thank you and best of luck to you!
Ashley
ashleypalar.blogspot.com
6:16 PM
Ashley said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
6:17 PM
Anonymous said…
Actually reports in the papers today say that the location of the murders was in the same zone as the farm, but not on the farm so there may well be no connection between Salvadoran rightists and police in the past. One thing you learn here is that papers print the first thing they hear without much digging for verification, and most of the locals don´t believe much of what they read in the periodicos. Sensational facts seem to be printed quickly and then phased out as more information becomes available.
10:18 PM
Hodad said…
are right on,
i love your 'sentido comun'
i agree with quite a bit
Peace
do you live in ES?
if so buy you a cafe when i get back in a couple weeks
and as far as this case goes
it probably DOES have to do with drug business
would not be surprised
those cops were probably just folowwing orders if they are actually the ones committed the crimes
justice in Latinolandia??ummmmmm

legalize drugs. and HEMP is the salvation for all AMERICAN farmers, incl. ES's
see BACH site and VOTE HEMP site for the facts
now more info on hemp for bio-fuel is available
Partido-Verde para El Futuro
1:17 PM
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