LatinNews Daily Report - 22 August 2013

ECONOMY | Energy protests. On 21 August an estimated 20,000 protesters took to the streets across the country calling for the government of President Otto Pérez Molina to reduce energy costs and re-nationalise the sector (privatised in 1997), among other demands. The protests, organised by the Comité de Desarrollo Campesino (Codeca), took place in half of the country’s 22 departments. Codeca says the latest protests are in response to the government’s ongoing failure to address a major complaint. In October last year a deadly military crackdown on protesters making the same demands caused an international outcry. According to local press, there were marches yesterday in Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango, Suchitepéquez, Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Jutiapa, Quiché, Santa Rosa, Sololá, Jalapa, Retalhuleu, Totonicapán and Izabal. As well as reductions in energy costs, the peasants are also reiterating longstanding demands like an end to mining concessions and the ratification by congress of a rural development law, initiative 4084, which would guarantee the right to food security and widen land access.

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