Weekly Report - 6 April 2004

Recently-installed President Oscar Berger has taken a bold step: slashing the size of the army by 42% and shutting down most of the country's barracks, all in one fell swoop. With this he not only fulfils long-delayed Guatemalan commitments under the 1996 peace treaties, but also becomes the second Central American country to take a concrete step towards the agreed `reasonable balance' of armed forces in the subregion.