Weekly Report - 23 April 2009 (WR-09-16)

The presidents of the executive, legislature and judiciary signed a national “security and justice" agreement last week in the latest attempt by the government of President Alvaro Colom to tackle Guatemala's ongoing security problems. Colom was quick to hail as “historic" the declared commitment by all three branches of government to address the issue. However, it is arguably the pledge to extend the mandate of the UN-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (Cicig), tasked with investigating links between organised crime and clandestine “security" groups within the state apparatus, which will have the most impact.