US embassy cable - 03GUATEMALA1906

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 001906 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, PHUM, KDEM, PINR, PINS, GT 
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON VIOLENT POLITICAL PROTESTS IN GUATEMALA 
 
REF: A. GUATEMALA 1904 
 
     B. GUATEMALA 1900 
 
Classified By: A/PolCouns Robert E. Copley for reason 1.5 (b). 
 
1. (U) At 2:00 PM local time on July 25, the disturbances 
seem to be winding down.  In a second day of protests, 
pro-Rios Montt demonstrators focused their morning activities 
around the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and Supreme 
Electoral Tribunal buildings--all related to Rios Montt's 
efforts to register his Presidential candidacy.  Riot police 
and combined police/military patrols were seen moving in the 
area, but took no action.  Four journalists were beaten by 
demonstrators, who also destroyed their cameras and other 
equipment. 
 
2. (U) Rumors circulated that the demonstrators were being 
relieved by fresh replacements in a synchronized fashion and 
seemed to be confirmed by reliable reports that some 80 
bus-loads of protesters were bound for the capital.  By 12:30 
PM, new rumors circulated that Rios Montt had released a tape 
recording asking the demonstrators to cease action and go 
home.  Journalist broadcast images of protesters boarding 
buses near the Constitutional court and by 1:30 PM, the area 
was nearly deserted.  The inbound buses have not appeared. 
We continue to monitor the situation. 
 
3. (C) A haggard Minister of Interior admitted to the 
Ambassador and RSO that police had not always carried out his 
orders and that the FRG's purpose was sheer intimidation. 
Minister Calderon agreed that heads should roll within the 
police once the immediate situation is contained.  Calderon 
was ambivalent at best about the President's July 24 order 
for joint police/military forces to restore order, pointing 
out that the Minster of Defense is outside the country and 
arguing that the Chief of Staff (son of Rios Montt) was not 
providing much assistance. 
 
4. (U) Legal questions about Rios Montt's ability to campaign 
may not be resolved soon.  The President of the Supreme 
Court, Carlos Larios Ochaita, announced in a noon press 
conference that the Court was closing because of the protests 
and had evacuated its personnel due to complete lack of 
security.  Ochaita called the response to bomb threats and 
the level of police protection outside his building 
"completely inadequate." 
HAMILTON