September 28, 2002
News from Guatemala

This week news of the Usumacinta plans first became public, and reaction on the Guatemala side was immediate. I have an excerpt from one of Carla Molina's emails that describes some of this. (click More below).

After last week's media coverage in Guatemala and the Ministry of Energy
& Mines subsequent denials about any project on the Usumacinta or as
part of the Plan Puebla Panama there have been several articles on the
Guatemalan press. First, it was that the Minister would request
information to the Mexican authorities if there were any such plans.
Finally, in the past couple days we have finally seen the information we
have all known for months on the local newspapers, where the Bocas del
Cerro project is mentioned and also where the CFE (Comision Federal de
Electrificacion) finally admits that they are conducting studies to do
this entirely on the Mexican side with no energy going to Guatemala
unless an agreement to sell us energy is signed. I would honestly like
to commend our local press for waking up and even the minister for
beginning to ask the right questions. (It was high time.)
Additionally, in the Peten region there are several organized groups,
one of which is called PETENEROS CONTRA LAS REPRESAS. They are being
taken very seriously, as the minister Archila went to meet with them
this week, promised that he would get to the bottom of this and meet
with them again next October 11th.

Posted by Dave at September 28, 2002 01:45 PM