Guatemalans remain on the road to reform

0 Comments | Insight on the News, March 27, 1995 | by Edmond Mulet

The Cold War's final chapter is being written by Guatemala's President Ramiro de Leon Carpio. The Central American leader is determined to leave office at the end of this year after instituting a lasting peace that will end Guatemala's 34-year internal conflict with Marxist guerrillas. By doing so, he is laying the foundation for prosperity and social justice for the people of Guatemala.

Working closely with the United States, the United Nations, other countries and international institutions, de Leon Carpio's government is committed to reaching an accord with Guatemala's URNG guerrillas. Congress has offered strong bipartisan support for the peace process. Convinced that the Guatemalan government has "responded positively" to a U.N. initiative to give new dynamism to negotiations, the House International Relations Committee recently urged "the URNG to do the same and to dedicate itself with renewed energy to the process' "

When de Leon Carpio took office in June 1993, Guatemala was in crisis. The former human-rights leader was installed as the constitutional successor to President Jorge Serrano, who fled Guatemala after attempting to subvert his country's fledgling democracy. Tired of decades of turmoil, the people of Guatemala -- including peasant farmers, the military and the business community -- united in an unprecedented move to bring stability and the rule of law to their nation.

Given Guatemala's history, the international community was cynical. Despite his record as a champion of human rights and representative democracy, the new president had no formal political base and was faced with an insurgency that sought to sabotage Guatemala's economy.

During the past 20 months, de Leon Carpio has convinced even the most cynical observers that Guatemala has embarked on the road to permanent reform and prosperity. With the support of all segments of society, he called a special referendum to revise the Guatemalan constitution, create safeguards against corruption and renovate the country's political institutions. The measure was approved by a large majority of votes. A special election replaced the old legislature with new, reform-minded representatives. In October 1994, new judges were seated in a revamped supreme court.

President de Leon Carpio's belief that a country's development rests on the twin pillars of political and economic freedom led to new policies to stimulate Guatemala's private sector. Nontraditional exports grew 24 percent in 1994 reducing the country's reliance on coffee, sugar and bananas. Privatization of major utilities was undertaken and foreign investment actively promoted. The currency stabilized, and the president won passage of new laws to stem tax evasion, improve the fiscal balance and generate new revenue for social projects.

However, de Leon Carpio knows these achievements will be meaningless without a lasting peace in Guatemala. More than three decades of internal conflict on North America's southern borders are being brought to an end by the determined efforts of the Guatemalan president. Closing the book on the Cold War will open a new era of reconciliation and reconstruction for the people of Guatemala.

Edmond Mulet is Guatemala's ambassador to the United States.