Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruno of Guatemala exhorted his fellow Christians on April 4 to englighten their country, long marked by political violence and now tormented by criminal organizations and gang violence. Guatemala is “tormented by violence, injustice, and hatred” said the Catholic prelate. “I call upon you that, during these difficult moments that we are going through, Jesus – who died and rose again – should become better recognized, beloved, and heeded,” said the cardinal during his Easter Sunday address.

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One of the poorest countries in Central America, Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world. Poverty and hunger are worst among the indigenous population of rural Guatemala, where flooding and droughts pose a constant threat to food security. Learn more.

Fighting to survive

As a result, the Ramos’ children are weak and underfed. Their baby daughter and one of her sisters have begun showing signs of acute malnutrition, a situation Maria Luisa says she can do little to help.

“I know my daughter is sick and needs to go to the hospital, but I cannot leave the rest of the children behind,” she said.

For the last three months, this family of nine has gotten by on food assistance from WFP which provides them with emergency rations of maize, beans, vegetable oil and corn soy blend that cover half of their nutritional needs.

A call for help

However, Guatemala’s rising need has put enormous strain on WFP’s food stocks in the country, which have fallen to their lowest level in years. No food distributions have taken place since the end of January 2010. The situation in the extended ‘dry corridor’ is getting worse.

In order to survive until the September harvest, the Ramos family and thousands of others like them are in dire need of additional assistance.

The World Food Programme is appealing to the international community for a contribution of US$14 million for life-saving operations to provide food assistance to 47,000 families for a six month period.

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Benedict XVI discussed the problems of poverty and emigration facing Guatemala upon receiving in audience the country’s president, Álvaro Colom Caballeros.

A communique issued after the meeting reported that “during the cordial discussions attention turned to the good relations that exist between Church and state, and to the specific contribution the Church makes to the country’s development.”

“There followed an exchange of opinions on the international situation, with particular reference to the challenges of poverty, organised crime and emigration,” the noted added. “The discussions also served to underline the importance of promoting human life from the moment of conception, and of the role played by education.”

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By The Great Sailfishing Company

Reported on: Mar 12, 2010 

These earthquakes are getting downright unnerving but don’t seem to effect the Great Sailfishing in Guatemala; the recent massive quake in Chile caused some serious concern and scientific commotion here in Guatemala. The region is obviously very active volcanically, and minor earthquakes are quite common. The territory closest to the volcanoes in the highlands is some of the most closely monitored seismically anywhere – partly to try and ensure that changes in activity levels are flagged, but also because there is just so much of it that has become a scientific data-gatherer’s dream.
There were cautionary alerts put out by the US Geological Team post the Chile event that said there was a possibility of a huge tsunami emanating from the centre and pushing out across the Pacific building up speed and energy all the while. You may have read how the Hawaiian coastline was largely evacuated lest the wave came ashore. Being roughly in the path between the epicenter and Hawaii, we thought it prudent to at least move the boats from their moorings and set to sea ….. just in case. Of course the local captains had heard it all before and were slightly bemused by the whole thing, but better safe than sorry

Guatemala Fishing

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If you are in or around the Madison area, please come to this event!

The Guatemalan Dream: Fair Trade and Fair Politics
DESGUA Speaker in Madison
Monday, March 15th
5:30-7:30pm
Speaker presentation, follow up conversation, and potluck dinner
Centro Hispano of Dane County
810 W. Badger Road

Speaker Omar Mejia will discuss DESGUA’s work to create economic development and alternatives to immigration for rural Guatemalan communities through fair trade. A conversation will follow to exchange information and ideas.

This event is part of a nation-wide speaking tour organized by DESGUA (Economic Development for a Sustainable Guatemala/ Desarrollo Económico por una Guatemala Sustentable) to strengthen a network of solidarity among Guatemalan migrant communities, community coops in Guatemala, and supporters in the United States.

DESGUA is working to cultivate a relationship between Guatemala’s producer community and U.S. markets to generate a sustainable and dignified way of life so that immigration in exchange for food is not the only option.

Event Speaker: DESGUA member Omar Mejia is an agronomist who has worked for more than 4 years providing technical support in various organic farming projects such as organic coffee and livestock. He has worked with Café Conciencia to market products with organic and Fair-trade principles within a network of fair-trade conferences and educational workshops.
DESGUA: is composed of Cafe Conciencia(Guate), Santa Anita La Union(Guate), Grupo Maya K’iche(U.S./Guate), Grupo Cajola(U.S), and the Canary Institute(U.S)

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United Nations and partners seek $34 million to assist drought-stricken Guatemalans. In Guatemala, WFP supports 350,000 people in school and preschool feeding, and mother/child care. The United Nations, together with the Guatemalan Government and aid partners, launched on March 5th, a $34 million appeal to counter food shortages affecting 2.7 million people living in the Central American country’s so-called ‘dry corridor,’ which even before last year’s drought had one of the highest rates of chronic malnutrition in the world.

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GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA–(Marketwire – Jan. 21, 2010) – Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz led an agricultural trade mission to Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and the United States to create new market opportunities for Canadian farmers.

“Step by step this Government is working to expand and create new trade opportunities for Canadian farmers and processors,” said Minister Ritz. “Trade is a key priority of Canada’s Economic Action Plan and that’s why Canada is working to level the playing field and give industry the opportunity to be stable and profitable.”

In Mexico, Minister Ritz announced a $5 million investment to boost the Mexican appetite and raise consumer awareness of Canada’s safe and top quality food. The Canada Brand initiative, part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, will drive promotional activities in Mexico for a wide range of Canadian products, including canola. Canadian agriculture exports to Mexico totaled $1.6 billion in 2008.

“Mexican families are looking for top quality and healthy agricultural products such as Canadian canola oil when they go to the grocery store,” said Minister Ritz. “This initiative will further connect the Canadian maple leaf and our commitment to quality to our Canadian agricultural products.”

Minister Ritz also met with Secretary of Agriculture Francisco Mayorga and Secretary of Economy, Gerardo Ruiz Mateos and stressed the need for an expedited scientific process that will reopen the Mexican market to Canadian over-thirty-months (OTM) beef.

Minister Ritz took the opportunity to stop in Colombia to reiterate the Government of Canada’s dedication to implement the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The Minister met personally with Colombian Minister of Agriculture Andres Fernandez, Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Luis Guillermo Plata, and Colombian Agriculture Institute General Manager Luis Fernando Caicedo. The FTA will provide preferential access to the Colombian market for Canadian agriculture and non-agriculture products and is an important market for Canadian wheat and pulses. In 2008, Colombia imported $123 million in Canadian wheat, durum and barley sales and $72 million of pulse and specialty crops.

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GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Archeologists have discovered a huge Mayan sculptured head in Guatemala that suggests a little-known site in the jungle-covered Peten region may once have been a significant city.

The stucco sculpture, which is 10 feet wide and 11.5 feet tall, was buried for centuries at the Chilonche ruins, close to the border with Belize.

The recent discovery of the head, which dates from the early Classic period between 300 to 600 AD, means the site is much older than previously thought. The Maya often constructed new buildings using older ones as foundations.

“It could be an imaginary being, something from the underworld, perhaps linked to a Mayan deity,” Polytechnic University of Valencia professor Gaspar Munoz, part of the team of archeologists that found the head, told Reuters.

Unlike Guatemala’s famous Mayan cities of Tikal and El Mirador, little excavation has been carried out at Chilonche.

Looters, looking for artifacts to sell on the black market, had dug a small tunnel passing the buried sculpture, which is similar to others decorating a solar observatory at another site, Uaxactun.

Guatemala’s Peten region is home to dozens of Mayan ruins, but the largely jungle-covered area is plagued by looters, poachers and smugglers taking cocaine to Mexico.

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NEW YORK – Alfonso Portillo, the fugitive former president of Guatemala, was charged in the United States on Monday with using foreign banks to launder millions of dollars plundered from charity and government coffers.

Portillo, 58, is accused of “converting the office of the Guatemalan presidency into his personal ATM,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of New York said in a statement.

The disgraced politician already was facing embezzlement charges in his own country. Authorities there on Monday declared him a fugitive after dozens of soldiers and police officers raided five of his properties but didn’t find him.

“He’s being sought because he allegedly embezzled funds from the state and from an aid fund sent by Taiwan for an educational project,” said Judge Belgica Deras.

Portillo’s lawyer, Telesforo Guerra, said his client won’t turn himself in.

“He won’t face a judge and will run away from justice because this is a political process, not a judicial one,” Guerra said.

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