Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
gersheadingintothecityfromLaAuroraInternational Airport.Privatevehicles,taxis,and
shuttle buses have been targeted indiscriminately. Authorities were investigating suspec-
tedgroupswhilesimultaneously openingsecuritycheckpointsandpolicekioskstoprovide
greater police presence along this route. It remains to be seen whether large-scale infra-
structuralimprovementsinvolvingroadsadjacenttotheairport(aspartoftheairportrenov-
ation project) will make things safer for arriving passengers.
A related issue is that of highway holdups on rural roads, a very unpleasant topic that
I must nonetheless cover here. Sometimes, groups will use bends in the road and speed
bumps to their advantage, stopping vehicles as they slow down and robbing passengers of
valuables.Inthemostspectacular casesofhighwaybanditry,pickuptruckscarryingarmed
men will pursue a vehicle and then pass it. Another car might come alongside the victim's
vehicle while the car in front shoots at it in an attempt to make the driver stop the car. In
addition to taking the passengers' possessions, perpetrators occasionally drag the car's oc-
cupants out of the vehicle, tie them up, and steal the car.
Guatemalans who sniff out an impending carjacking have been known to speed up as
would-be perpetrators signal them to slow down, not without significant risk of being
harmed by the bullets that are often landed on the car by frustrated assailants. If you are
stopped and robbed, it's best to remain calm and give them what they want. Opposing a
robbery will only make things worse, as the thieves will see this as an invitation to use
greater force. (I speak from a personal experience in Mexico). It's hard to predict where
robberies may occur, though certain areas do seem more prone to this type of crime than
others. Among these areas are RN-11, along the southeastern side of Lake Atitlán, the road
to El Salvador outside the Guatemala City area (Salvadorans are a favorite target), and
some rural Petén roads.
For more on this topic, read the U.S. government's Consular Information Sheet, found
online at
www.travel.state.gov
.
Another useful site is that concerning recent incidents
of crime against foreigners in Guatemala, available at
http://guatemala.usembassy.gov/re-
cent_incidents.html
.
It will give you an idea of what can happen, but try not to let it alarm
you.
Gang violence is also a growing concern. The groups, known as
maras,
operate in parts
of Guatemala City not usually frequented by international travelers as well as in some urb-
an areas throughout the country.
Kidnappings reached an all-time high after the civil war, usually involving prominent
citizensheldforransomandsometimesreturnedtotheirfamilies,dependingonwhetheror
nottheransommoneywascollected. Theyseem tohavesubsidedinmorerecent yearsand
rarely, if ever, involve foreigners.
During your trip to Guatemala, there are a number of common-sense measures you can
take to avoid being becoming the victim of street crime. Don't walk around wearing flashy
jewelry and carry only the amount of cash you need for the day in a concealed place.
