Violence in Guatamala City

This week was a short week for the volunteers of Camino Seguro due to shootings in the capital.  On Tuesday afternoon we were informed that the school might be closed on Wednesday due to the murder of four bus drivers that morning.  Unfortunately the killing of bus drivers is a common occurrence it he capital, but the four that morning brought the total to 30 for this year.  There was concern not only for the safety of volunteers and Camino children and families, but also concern that the bus drivers might go on strike as a way of demanding that the government do something.

The reason for the shootings?  Extortion by the gangs of Guatemala City.  The gangs in the capital are large and very organized and they charge business and individuals to pay them "impuestos", taxes, to keep form being killed. When people refuse to pay, the "mareros" kill them.  Because the buses are so heavily travelled, they carry a large amount of money from the cash fares people pay when they board.  As a result, imposing impuestos on the buses can be very profitable for the mareros.  Their approach is to board the bus and demand an impuesto; if the driver and/or passengers refuse, they are killed on the spot.  In the case of Tuesday morning , four buses in different parts of the city were boarded between 6 am and 9:30 am.  As a result everyone was sent home early on Tuesday, and we were told that we would not come in Wednesday and again for Thursday.  

People are worried because this year's killings are more than last year, and the violence seems to be increasing.  Last week a Korean couple was found murdered in their home and there was at least one other murder.  Even the churches are not immune.  Last week, one of the churches was approached and told to pay an impuesto.  The pastor has refused, and now folks are waiting to see what might happen.  Please keep that church and their pastor in your prayers that God would protect and deliver them who would attempt to hold control over one of God's churches.

Most people believe that the government is ineffectual in dealing with the gangs and that the gangs out-number and are better armed than the police.  There is also the widespread belief that because of corruption in the government, there is little motivation to address the issue.

And so the people carry on, riding the buses, trying to make a living and hoping that all will be well.  Just as so many people depend on the buses for getting to work (many coming from outside the capital), the capital's economy and functioning are just as dependent on the folks being able to get to work.  If the bus drivers were to refuse to drive, and workers were not able to get into the city or travel around the city, there would be a great deal of chaos.  If you live in a large metropolitan center such as Boston, try to imagine all the public transportation shutting down for a day or two.

Going back to the church that was threatened, I heard from someone in the city that some of the churches had started to think about how to respond.  It looks like they might try to plan some type of prayer service  at the church.  They do not want to do anything that might bring more attention to the gangs, since that is what they love.  For the sake of the church that was threatened, and for the sake of the unity of the body of Christ, I pray that they do respond in some way. My feeling is that there needs to be some type of visible witness that they church only bows down to God and no other, and that the people of God are a united force against evil.

For the time being, Camino volunteers have been advised not to use buses.  The only other option is to use taxis--which sometimes have their own way of extorting money out of foreigners.

Please pray for the peace of the city, not only Guatemala City, but other cities where evil seeks to gain a foothold.

Hasta Luego.