Salvadoran archbishop calls for halt to negative campaign against Guatemala

San Salvador, El Salvador, Mar 6, 2007 / 11:58 am

Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle of San Salvador has called for a halt to the “negative campaign against Guatemala” which has resulted from the murder three weeks ago of three Salvadoran lawmakers who were participating in the Central American Parliament.  Agents from Guatemalan security forces have been proven responsible for the killings.

The archbishop’s statements came after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Anders Kompass said Guatemala was a “failed and collapsed State,” because of the prevailing climate of insecurity and distrust for the country’s institutions.

“I think there have been serious problems, but I think we cannot carry out a negative campaign against a fellow country, because we are united by many bonds and even by common economic interests,” Archbishop Saenz Lacalle said.  “It’s not worth it to carry out a campaign against tourism in Guatemala,” he added, saying that each person should analyze with prudence “what security measures to take.”

The archbishop said he hoped Salvadoran officials would “resolve these serious problems soon…but, we cannot judge a nation by the behavior of a few,” he said.
 
Three Salvadoran lawmakers and their driver were killed and burned on a rural road in Guatemala on February 19th.  Three days later officials announced the capture of four police detectives involved in the crime.  On February 25, the detectives were executed at a maximum security prison.