Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the helm of the newly created Council for Social Cohesion, which oversees the health and
education ministries, among others. The legal framework creating this mechanism gran-
ted her tremendous powers and complete control over a $282 million budget free from
any third-party oversight. Torres de Colom, according to several analysts, in fact became
Guatemala's co-president, usurping powers that would normally fall under the jurisdiction
of government ministers and the vice president.
The greatest scandal in Colom's first three months in office involved the firing of Se-
curity Consultant Víctor Rivera, a naturalized Venezuelan who presided over investiga-
tions involving drug trafficking, kidnapping, bank robberies, and other important cases, in-
cluding the murder of three Salvadoran diplomats in February 2007. Rivera had worked
with three successive governments, but his contract was abruptly terminated by Colom in
April 2008. Days later, just minutes after granting a candid interview to the daily news-
paper
Prensa Libre
, Rivera and his secretary were intercepted in a drive-by shooting that
left Rivera dead, his secretary injured, and 18 bullet holes in his white Toyota Starlet. The
government remained silent for two days after the murder, adding to suspicions that they
were probably behind it, though only human-rights champion Helen Mack would dare go
on record saying so.
Other scandals during the first year in office included the uncovering of wiretaps and
unauthorized surveillance in the Palacio Nacional and presidential offices by unknown
sources. In October 2008, ex-President Alfonso Portillo returned to Guatemala from his
Mexican exile after his visa expired. Although he should have faced numerous charges
on counts of well-documented financial malfeasance during his administration, he was re-
leased on bail the same day. Many saw this as evidence that Colom and Portillo were in
cahoots, an accusation Colom vehemently denied. As of 2010, Portillo was in a Guatem-
alan prison awaiting U.S. extradiction.
On May 10, 2009, prominent Guatemala City lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg was assassin-
ated while bicycling in Zona 14. The next day, a video surfaced in which he plainly ac-
cusedthegovernmentoforchestrating hisdeath.Inthevideo,recordedjustdaysbeforehis
death, Rosenberg states, “If you are hearing this message, it means that I, Rodrigo Rosen-
berg Marzano, was murdered by the president's private secretary, Gustave Alejos, and his
associate Gregorio Valdez, with the approval of Mr. Alvaro Colom and Sandra de Colom.”
The alleged reason for the murder given by Rosenberg claimed it was a government plot to
silence opposition to government corruption in Guatemala's Banrural, including claims of
money laundering and using it as a front to fund campaign funds for a future run for office
bySandraTorresdeColom.Mr.MusahadbeenappointedtoBanrural'sboardofdirectors,
buthisappointmentwaswithheldbythegovernmentoveraperiodofthreemonthspriorto
his murder.
Rosenberg fought valiantly for the solving of the Musas' murder and had received death
threats in the days leading up to his murder. In light of these allegations, an outraged
