Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Use safety-deposit boxes for important documents such as passports and plane tickets. In
crowded cities, carry your backpack in front of you and be aware of your surroundings at
all times. Always keep an eye on your luggage at the airport, bus terminals, and hotels. At
night, take a cab and don't go walking out and about after dark. At the beach, be sure not
to bring too many things that might tempt thieves while you're in the water. Also, be care-
ful not to walk along isolated stretches of beach, particularly around the Caribbean city of
Lívingston. It's never a good idea to climb volcanic summits without a guide, particularly
those around Antigua and Lake Atitlán, as these are especially prone to robberies.
That being said, there are still many areas of the country that are beautiful for backcoun-
try hiking and remain crime-free, particularly the Western Highlands region of the Ixil Tri-
angle, where you can still explore freely. Before embarking on a backcountry hike or vol-
canoclimb,alwaysinformsomeonewhoisnotgoingwithyouofyourplansandwhenyou
plan to return.
Police
The Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) was created after the civil war with help from Chilean
and Spanish security forces but has not been the efficient security force it was hoped it
would be. In addition to widespread allegations of corruption, it is perceived as being
grossly inefficient. Corrupt agents are suspected of involvement with drug trafficking and
the highway holdups, as many robberies occur shortly after travelers are stopped at police
checkpoints and perpetrators are often described as wearing police uniforms. Despite these
conditions, if you are stopped by police it is best not to offer a bribe, as straight cops will
not hesitate to throw you in jail. It's best to go through the usual mechanisms and pay the
fine (if applicable). After being stopped, be particularly mindful of your surroundings and
especiallyonthelookoutforvehiclesthatmightbefollowingyoualittletooclosely.Ifyou
have hired the services of Asistur, you may want to call and see if there is an agent in the
vicinity to accompany you the rest of the way to your destination.
The Guatemalan military sometimes jointly patrols areas with police forces because of
the latter's demonstrated inability to provide a security presence that dissuades criminal
activity. This has led to criticism because the joint patrols (as they're called) run counter
to the peace accords allowing for the creation of a professional civilian security force. The
involvement of high-ranking police officers in the assassination of three Salvadoran dip-
lomats and their driver in February 2007, in addition to denunciations that police forces
harbor death squads within their ranks, may have served as the needed impetus for a sys-
tematic purge and revamping of the police forces (once again) from the ground up. It was
a hot topic leading up to the election campaign.
