US embassy cable - 03GUATEMALA1177

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 001177 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
HARARE FOR BRUCE WHARTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, EAID, GT 
SUBJECT: ANOTHER STEP FORWARD: FURTHER REDUCTION OF EMP 
STAFF 
 
REF: 02 GUATEMALA 3309 
 
1. (U) Summary: At a May 2 public event, President Portillo 
officially demobilized 107 Presidential Guard (EMP) members 
in the second phase of the peace accord-mandated process to 
replace the EMP with a civilian agency.  The Ambassador 
attended the ceremony at the National Cultural Palace, and 
later discussed with the press the GOG's progress on peace 
accord implementation, advocating prompt EMP dissolution and 
other advances in the Peace Accord agenda.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) President Portillo announced on May 2 that the 107 
members of the EMP staff being retired would be absorbed by 
other civilian agencies within the GOG.  Added to the first 
staff reduction, which occurred on December 29, 2002 
(reftel), the EMP has now been reduced by 55 percent (204 
members) of its pre-Peace Accord size.  According to Portillo 
and Peace Secretary Catalina Soberanis, the GOG will 
demobilize the remainder of the EMP staff by October 31, 2003. 
 
3. (U) The Ambassador attended the public ceremony along with 
other chiefs of diplomatic missions.  After the event he told 
the press that the demobilization of the EMP was a positive 
sign of the GOG's commitment to fulfilling pending items on 
the peace agenda.  He also expressed USG concern over the 
lack of action so far towards completion of such peace accord 
mandates as increasing the tax burden, creating a transparent 
military budget, or increasing the budget of the Judiciary. 
 
4. (SBU) Ricardo Marroquin, director of the Secretariat for 
Administrative Matters and Security (SAAS), the new civilian 
agency tasked with taking over the bulk of the EMP's 
functions, told PolMilOff that the former EMP members joining 
his ranks were being very carefully screened before 
admittance.  Marroquin also noted that he was pleased with 
the transition thus far and that both he and the EMP staff 
were on schedule to meet the October 31, 2003, demobilization 
deadline. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The continuing demobilization of the EMP is 
encouraging, and has created expectations that the Portillo 
Administration will meet its goal of completely demobilizing 
the EMP and replacing it with a civilian agency by October. 
While in recent years the EMP has not been accused of the 
human rights abuses it was involved in during the internal 
conflict, the total lack of transparency into its actions and 
budget have led to concerns that it could be used, as it was 
in the past, for corruption and even election-year dirty 
tricks.  Its definitive departure later this year will be an 
important step forward in the peace process. 
HAMILTON