Eye of the Hurricane

Well, today turned out to be anything but virtual. It was very, very real indeed!

Today I found myself standing in the middle of 6,000 angry ex-paramilitaries.

They were members of the former Civil Defense Patrols (PACs, in Spanish), created by the Guatemalan army to extend its lethal reach to even the most remote of rural communities. The PACs were comprised mostly of peasant farmers, forced by the military to abandon thier fields and instead seek out guerrillas and their supporters. Patrollers were also often forced to participate in property destruction, rapes, massacres, and extrajudicial executions.

In many cases PAC members committed serious human rights violations with or without the direct supervision of the army. The PACs were officially dissolved in 1996, shortly before the signing of the final peace accords.

Roughly 2 years ago, though, the ex-PACs suddenly resurfaced, demanding to be compensated for “services rendered to the country.” They asked for a payment of Q5,000 ($640) each. This may not seem like much… until you realize that there are between 500,000 and 1 million ex-patrollers!

Alfonso Portillo, the previous president, succumbed to their demands in a shameless effort to win their votes. He proposed dividing the total into three payments, of which only the first ($215) was to be paid during his administration.

The current president, Oscar Berger, inherited from Portillo not only the commitment to pay the remaining ex-PAC debt (estimated at 340 million dollars), but a government completely bankrupt from corruption.

So, today…

While Congress debated the “if, when, and how much” of the payments, ex-PAC from around the country gathered in front of the Congress building, stating that they were “ready to die if necessary” to achieve their goals.

I, of course, had to go and take photographs. I carefully squeezed my way through the tightly-packed crowd (experiencing flashbacks to Times Square on New Year’s Eve). Eventually I worked my way to the very center of the gathering, where a pickup with enormous speakers was broadcasting the latest news. I was graciously given permission to “climb aboard” and take photos of the waves of faces swirling around me.

As I lifted my camera, one of the leaders shouted into the microphone “hats in the air for the photographer”, and I suddenly felt thousands of eyes directed right at me. (yeah, gulp!) But then the hats were lifted, along with shouts and whoops. The photographs, I pray, should be remarkable! (I’ll download them tomorrow when I have a bit more strength left.)

After an interminable wait, retired General and current congressman Otto Perez Molina came out to address the 'troops'. Seeking a decent vantage point, he climbed up onto the pickup truck and stood right next to me.

He stated that the payment would be indeed be approved, and wished everyone a safe trip back to their homes. The crowd erupted with wild cheers, thunderous applause, and exploding firecrackers!

The multitude then dispersed for a new gathering in front of the Presidential offices. I meanwhile, out of memory and out of energy, decided to return to my own office.

Shortly after, I heard on the radio that the motion wasn’t actually approved by Congress. Evidently the other representatives became angry that Perez Molina had decided to unilaterally announce the passage of the bill, and decided to postpone the final debate for tomorrow. According to the press, members of Congress “fled” the building as soon as they realized the ex-PAC had moved on.

Now we wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Posted by elcanche at August 11, 2004 10:32 PM