Gover rent troops occupy a peasant village in Guatemala DURING the late 'seventies, was waging his 'human the tune of not less than 24 million dollars.
The money will come through door' routes yalluls and not be back listed in US government spending figures as aid to Guatemala.
Although the regime of General Oscar Humberto Mejia who overthrow evangelical eccentric Rios Montt in a US-sponsored coup last year - is much more secure than neighbouring regime in El Salvador, it is still fighting Wal guerrilla armies of which the Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP) the Guatemala Workers Party (PGT) are the strongest.
According to Western
dinlomats the number olitica murders ulsa vocalalice. has • creased the number of murders •disappearances has increased from 150 a week when Jimmy Carter rights' crusade, United States aid to Guatemala was banned by Congress because of the appalling human rights record. The Congressional ban still applies. But the US embassy in Guatemala City has revealed that next year the United States intends to fund the military regime to under Rios Montt to 190 a week under Mejia.
There is no doubt that the government has scored some successes against the ¡evolutival y allllics. It 15 moving thousands of In. dians into Vietnam-style Tore villager In this process it is first launching armed anacks on av a dian settlements suspected or naving inks or contact: with the guerrillas. _nousatus of illulall. have been tortured and murdered.
Mejias has so far failed to explain the deaths of a number employees of the US AID programme. murdered une forces solely because they were involved in education programies In Guatemala 10 be 3: - and thus a target ior the death squads.
Socialist Action 2 March 1984