Weekly Report - 09 August 2012 (WR-12-31)

President Otto Pérez Molina is trumpeting progress in reforming the national police (PNC). This follows the approval earlier in the year of another issue with which his predecessors struggled - tax reform [WR-12-08]. The police reform comes despite doubts regarding Pérez Molina’s commitment to the move given his military background (he served as head of the military intelligence [D-2]) during the 1960-1996 civil war and earlier readiness to involve the military in citizen security – a strategy which, civil society groups have previously warned, undermines efforts to strengthen civilian law enforcement.