5 Extrajudicial Killings by Guatemalan Police

Two Guatemalan police officers are in custody and two more are sought for the abduction and murder of five youths in Guatemala City last Friday. The case raises new concerns about the National Police and its links to organized crime in the country.

The policemen charged in the murder were identified using GPS tracking data from their patrol car, an interesting development. The car left National Police headquarters at 12:50 p.m. last Friday, arrived at the site where the abductions occurred at 1:08 p.m. and then drove to the site where the bodies were later discovered, shot in the head, stopping there at 1:37 p.m.

Some family members tried to pursue the police car after the abduction, but say they were blocked by an army vehicle, raising the possibility of military involvement.

The abduction occurred in a part of Guatemala City, El Gallito, that is well known for cocaine trafficking. Four of the abducted youths had prior convictions, leading many to speculate that the police (and possibly army) officers involved had been hired by a gang. Previous cases of organized crime rings contracting police officers include the widely-publicized murder of three Salvadorn members of the Central American Parliament last February.

A representative of Guatemala's Human Rights Ombudsman's Office expressed concern about "death squads continuing to operate in the Police."

Beyond reports of police involvement in gangland killings, groups such as Casa Alianza, which works with Guatemalan street children, have deplored police involvement in "social cleansing," or the killing of homeless youths living on the street.

The news comes as Guatemala gears up for a November runoff election for president between a moderate candidate and a former army official running on the promise of a mano dura, or heavy hand, against crime. Violent crime statistics have increased dramatically in Guatemala during this election year, a common phenomenon in Guatemalan elections as some groups seek to place emphasis on security over other issues, and to reinsert the army into National Police functions.