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