Murder Mars Upcoming Guatemalan Elections
WASHINGTON, Aug 30 (OneWorld) - On September 9 Guatemalans will partake in what will be the third national election since the civil war ended in 1996.
Although Lopezs assassination sends a unequivocal message about the opposition Menchu and her party face, the indigenous rights leader remains in the running to become Guatemala's first indigenous president, not to mention the first woman to hold this decisive post. After losing her parents to the ruthless military counterinsurgency of the civil war, Menchu dedicated her life to achieving justice and promoting indigenous rights. In 1992 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. If elected, Menchu assures that she would not resort to radical leftist reforms such as the agrarian policies of the 1950s that prompted a U.S.-driven coup. Instead, seeking a more moderate approach, "she would push for economic and social responsibility sorely lacking in a country where 10 percent of the population owns half of the wealth, and more than 50 percent survive on less than $2 a day," according to an advisor. In addition to the intimidation demonstrated by the recent attack on her colleague, a host of hurdles stand between Menchu and the presidency. For example, although the Guatemalan indigenous community accounts for 60 percent of the countrys population, only one third of these Mayan ancestors are registered to vote. ....................................................................................
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