Lat/Am Daily » Guatemala

Highway to hell

Peter Krupa — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:10:21 +0000

From the government of Guatemala’s Flickr feed, the scariest thing ever. Ever. This is what happens when sewage and rainwater rush uncontrolled under crumbling city streets built on mud. Oh, and it’s happened before, too. Not cool.

(H/T BoingBoing)

Pacaya awakes

Peter Krupa — Mon, 31 May 2010 03:12:39 +0000

The Calgary Herald has a nice photo gallery of the cleanup from the Pacaya Volcano eruption in Guatemala.

Highway to hell

Portillo back in the clink

Peter Krupa — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:55:19 +0000

After 10 days in a military hospital, Guatemalan ex-President Alfonso Portillo is being transferred back to prison. A court finally ruled that according to a medical examination, his health problems were not serious enough to merit hospitalization. During his stay in the military hospital, it was never clear why exactly he had been transferred there. The United States has officially requested Portillo’s extradition to try him on charges of launder millions of dollars embezzled from the Guatemalan people.

Portillo report still missing

Peter Krupa — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:05:15 +0000

Empty? (Via markhillary.)

Is Alfonso Portillo healthy or sick? No one knows yet, though we were supposed to find out yesterday. It’s now been three days since the ex-Guatemalan president accused of embezzlement and money laundering ditched a maximum-security prison for a military hospital with conflicting reports as to why.

El Periódico says today that it got hold of two reports from two different doctors that say two completely different things. The one from a National Forensic Science Institute doctor says the ex-prez is in perfect health. The one from the doctor hired by the defense says he suffers from a racing heart, chest pains, and high blood pressure. Doctors from the military hospital itself haven’t released any official statements.

Prensa Libre, meanwhile, is reporting that the hospital denied a public prosecutor’s request to do a medical examination of Portillo. The article also says the U.S. has until March 29 to formalize a request for extradition.

Central American leaders have a history of receiving special treatment upon entery to the penal system. Nicaragua’s Arnoldo Aleman served most of his prison term for robbing the Nicaraguan state of about $100 million in house arrest, due to health reasons. Also, arrested former Costa Rican presidents Rodríguez and Calderón spent their “preventative detention” in the comfort of their own homes, rather than prison.

One can only imagine the strings Portillo might be pulling.

Calling in sick

Peter Krupa — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:31:33 +0000

Found a "Portillo"? (Via Prensa Libre.)

What’s wrong with Alfonso Portillo? The Guatemalan ex-president (2000-2004) was arrested and placed in a maximum-security prison on January 26 at the request of the United States, which is seeking him on charges of laundering part of the US$70 million in government funds that Guatemala, in turn, is trying him for embezzling.

But on Saturday, he was suddenly transferred to a military prison hospital with “respiratory problems.” Then it was rumored he had heart problems, but no one had released any official statement. The public prosecutor requested a report on Portillo’s condition from the military, but the report was delayed.

People are starting to wonder what’s going on. Portillo has evaded justice before: To face the embezzlement charges, he had to be extradited from Mexico in 2008. And his mysterious illness occurred right after President Colom stated that extraditing Portillo to the U.S. was fine by him. The authorities say the report on Portillo’s health will be released today.

But we’re still waiting.

Who’s the best paid of them all?

Peter Krupa — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:14:02 +0000

Of the top 12 highest paid presidents in the region, who do you think is number one? OK, fine, Barack Obama, who makes about US$400k annually. What about number two? Colombian news magazine Portafolio says it’s Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom, who makes about US$220k annually presiding over a country of 12 million people.

At the bottom of the list is Bolivia’s Evo Morales, who supposedly makes $22,200 a year, which is not enough. And around about the middle is Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, who makes about US$90k, which is surely not true. Canada’s Stephen Harper didn’t even make the list, which has to be a mistake (or maybe because he’s only a prime minister?). And finally, Cuba’s Raul Castro supposedly makes only $30 a month, which is not a big deal when you already own an entire country.

(link: “Los 12 presidentes que mas ganan en América”)