MIXCO RESIDENTS SHARE CONCERNS, DESIRE FOR NAS

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000740 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KCRM KJUS GT SUBJECT: MIXCO RESIDENTS SHARE CONCERNS, DESIRE FOR NAS PROGRAM WITH US AMBASSADOR ¶1. SUMMARY: On June 26, the Ambassador attended the official kick-off of the NAS-funded Precinct Program in Mixco, a crime-ridden, working class neighborhood of Guatemala City. During the meeting the Ambassador listened to residents' concerns regarding lack of security and their support for the Precinct Program, which is to be modeled on the successful program already in place in Villa Nueva. He also joined a meeting between the mayors of Mixco and Villa Nueva to share their thoughts on and challenges to the program. END SUMMARY. ¶2. At the request of the Ambassador, Mixco Mayor Jose Amilcar Rivera convened a town hall meeting to allow residents an opportunity to voice their concerns regarding the security situation in the city. The meeting forced the Ministry of Government, which had been stalling for months, to agree to a model precinct progra similar to the one NAS funded in Villa Nueva. he mayor of Villa Nueva, Jose Domingo Sical, attended, as did Dr. Fernando Herrera, the President of CONPREDEDE, the NGO NAS works with to implement the Precinct Program, and representatives of the GOG. ¶3. During the town hall meeting, numerous residents told the Ambassador of their security concerns in Mixco. These included numerous robberies and assaults, as well as a general distrust of the National Civil Police. As a response, many neighborhoods have formed ad-hoc security patrols to drive the streets at night and help keep watch. Upon hearing from the Ambassador that NAS was planning to replicate the Villa Nueva Model Precinct Program in Mixco, many residents thanked the Ambassador and requested the program be implemented as soon as possible. The Model Precinct Program in Villa Nueva has had success in lowering the impunity rate for crimes. The USAID-supported 24-hour court in Villa Nueva complements significantly these efforts. ¶4. Following the town hall meeting, the Ambassador met privately with both mayors and the representatives of the GOG. During the meeting the Mayor of Mixco asked both the Ambassador and the Mayor of Villa Nueva questions about the program. Vice Minister of Government for Justice Donald Gonzalez voiced his support of the program. ¶5. COMMENT: This event demonstrated both the USG's ability to kick-start anti-crime programs, as well as the huge citizen demand for more effective security in Guatemala City's crime-ridden, working class neighborhoods. The ongoing Villa Nueva program has shown a lot of progress in a relatively short amount of time, and it is hoped similar progress can be made in Mixco. Mixco suffers from an extremely high crime rate and rampant gang activity, as did Villa Nueva. NAS has begun to identify police personnel for vetting for positions in the model precinct, as well as to coordinate with NGOs and volunteers in the GOGs "safe schools" project. McFarland