Scarves in Guatemala

Here's an interesting story about Debbie DuPey.

Debbie DuPey, 47, divides her time between Spokane and Guatemala – two very different worlds.  DuPey, a writer, artist and longtime Spokane specialist in domestic violence prevention, is trying to bridge these worlds by telling the stories of the women of Guatemala and by selling their scarves.  DuPey has published a 2011 calendar, titled “Threads,” featuring the stories of the women of Guatemala who weave scarves in the cooperative economic venture “Corazon Scarves.” Corazon is the Spanish word for heart.  The women’s scarves are marketed through DuPey’s website and also through small gatherings of Inland Northwest women.

You can learn more about Corazon Scarves here.

Guatemala Peace Accords Links

Here are a few more links to Peace Accords-related info from last week. 

Here is a statement from the URNG and an interview with Deputy Hector Nuila



And from the Partido Patriota

Guatemala - Not So Violent Year?

The AP has a story floating around documenting the toll that gunshot victims have on Guatemalan emergency rooms.

Massive numbers of cases have stretched the San Juan de Dios Hospital, Guatemala City's largest, to the breaking point. The medical facility, along with the city's Roosevelt Hospital, treated 1,224 gunshot and knife-wound patients from January to November this year...

Health Minister Ludwig Ovalle says treating victims of violence costs about $44 million, or about 10 percent of the department's total annual budget.

You can check out photos from Guatemala's emergency rooms here.

While you wouldn't know it, the total number of murders committed in 2010 declined relative to 2009 (Inside Costa Rica).  As of Christmas, 6,502 murders had been reported, down 6% from the 6,948 murders reported last year. 

In terms of where the murders occurred, approximately 58% occurred in the department of Guatemala (a department with 21% of the country's population).  Escuintla finished second with about 12% of the murders (and 4% of the population).  While the total number of murders were down, authorities said that there had been a greater cruelty in perpetrating such crimes (beheadings and signs of torture).

In terms of the victims, 178 urban or suburban bus drivers were killed.  According to the Mutual Support Group (GAM), store owners and employees were also targets of crime with 101 killed, often the result of extortion gone bad.  Forty-eight police officers were also killed. 

In terms of the perpetrators, most of the killings were linked to organized crime and gang-on-gang conflict (Xinhua). 

The Guatemalan Interior Ministry estimated 60 percent of the country's murders were committed by gangsters against ordinary citizens. Another 25 percent were caused by turf wars between the gangs, and the remaining 15 percent were due to crimes of passion or robberies.

While I don't think that anyone should be out celebrating the 6% drop in murders, sorry to say, but it's better than a 6% increase.  I'm hoping for a safe and happy new year, but I am worried.