Guatemala - The assasinations of bus drivers by attackers on motorbikes have caused serious alarma and fear in the population of Guatemala City.
Crime statistics show that 6 of every 10 murders in the city are carried out on motorcycles with more than one passenger.
The national civil police have not been able to catch the perpetrators of these crimes. In a city with constant traffic congestion, a motorcycle can easily escape. The killings are considered to be part of a strategic plan to cause destabilization and fear among the population, and they have succeeded.
People are afraid and demand action. The recent murder of TV Journalist Rolando Sántiz from the TV news Chanel 13, was also carried out by attackers on a motorbike. The public outcry caused the government to react. The reaction was a new law drafted by the interior minister where only one person may ride on a motorbike; the person has to wear a fluorescent jacket and a protective helmet with the vehicle's registration number. The Congress of Guatemala passed a law and it will enter in effect tomorrow the 14th of April.
The big problem is that in Guatemala a motorbike is usually a family transportation vehicle. The father, the mother and the child ride on the motorbike to school, to work, to do shopping and all other activities.
Currently the numbers of motorbikes have increased in the city and in the country due to high gasoline prices and due to severe traffic congestions.
It is faster to get to your destination on a motorbike then in a car.
This new law will affect all Guatemalan families that rely on this transportation mode. It is not practical. It is not fair to punish innocent people and take away their mode of transportation.
It more likely that with this new law the criminals will device other strategies and will most probably continue with their actions. They will not be deterred by the new law; they will just change their modus operandi. Organized crime is organized, they adapt, they evolve, and they are flexible.
Guatemala's law enforcement institutions are behind, outdated, outnumbered and need much more support to be able to respond effectively.
Steps have been taken to improve the security system, but the actions are like a drop of water on a hot stone. Decades of neglect from the past governments and the present government are the cause of the current situation. It will take enormous amounts of resources, both human and in equipment to address the issue effectively. There will be no easy solutions to the security problem, including this one person per motorbike law.
Photo Ignacio de Wit
