Reflections: Security Concerns and Risks in Guatemala
| Events: |
Nacimientos | New Year 2004 | My First Taller | Lenten Processions |
Places: |
Antigua | Outskirts of Antigua |
Topics of Interest: |
Volcanoes | Security Concerns |
A lot of people ask us at K'inal Winik about whether it is really safe to visit Guatemala. They are usually responding to major incidents that make the news in North America, such as the rape a few years ago of four young female students from a college in the northeastern US, or the recent killing of a Mormon tourist from Utah in the course of a bus assault. Less well known is that Guatemalans themselves are frightened by the sudden rise in crime over the past decade, especially in the capital. However, in my opinion, most of what Americans know about security is very limited, and, naturally, assessing the risks of certain behaviors is more difficult when you are unfamiliar with the area or don't speak the language. Even traveling to unfamiliar areas in the US can be scary because we lack information about how to avoid risks. But I feel that much of the information about security that tourists receive before they come and use to decide whether to come or not, is excessively pessimistic. There are known risks, and there are strategies for avoiding them, and sometimes things happen that simply cannot be predicted or prevented. Life is risky and you can't actually protect yourself against everything.
One of the benefits of foreign travel is, in fact, the opportunity to see how much of the world lives with ordinary risks that Americans can no longer even imagine.One issue in risk assessment is the over-reliance on the incidents that make the news, which are always horrific and made more so by the special journalistic attention they receive. An example was the sad case of the tourist from Utah in January. When colleagues and friends heard or read about the case, some wrote or called to see if I was aware of it and whether I felt safe here. Of course, I appreciated their concern for me (and that they were paying attention to the news from Guatemala, since so little of it arrives there!) But when I asked them whether they knew much about the four Guatemalans who were killed at about the same time in the Los Angeles area, not one knew anything about it. Both cases were much in the news here, and the repatriation of the LA bodies, along with interviews with weeping relatives, took front page precedence, but the tourist murder was a major story here, in part because it is well known that such highly publicized cases have an immediate and drastic effect on tourism which accounts for a large chunk of Guatemala's income. On the other hand, it is well to remember that on a typical day in January, there are thousands of North American tourists [NB editors: could someone check the web for specific figure here and insert it if you find it?) in Guatemala, and not very many of them were assaulted or killed. The actual risk of such an event is not high to begin with, and can be lowered even more by taking certain precautions.
At K'inal Winik, when we give orientations for students on study trips or to other people planning a visit here, we recommend checking the State Department website as well as the sites of other countries that send many tourists here - and whose government risk assessors seem to take a somewhat less pessimistic tone that those in the US. [NB editors: you could put links here to the various sites) www.state.gov We also provide lists of sensible precautions to avoid being a victim of crime - don't walk dark streets alone at night, don't go to known risk areas, don't bring unnecessary valuables, don't carry all your documents or all your money at the same time, use the Tourism Police escorts, and so on - as well as very specific advice that pertains to the situations in the places being visited. It is true that some actions commonly taken by visitors actually heighten risk of crime. I always advise, for example, to avoid riding in highly visible, very modern, well-marked tourist vans. To my mind, those tour agency logos are shorthand for "Hi! I'm someone who can afford this expensive tour, and I am very likely carrying a lot of money, an expensive camera and/or watch, and several credit cards. Come rob me, why don't you?" Similarly, name tags, fancy foreign clothes and accessories, and big packs or purses that clearly hold a lot of stuff are unwise displays. Obviously, you have to be aware of your surroundings, you have to know where you are going so you don't end up on the street corner with a map and looking confused, and you have to try to walk confidently and to blend in. The best strategy though is to make local friends and rely on them for advice, accompaniment, and assistance. I realize I am very fortunate to have several such friends!
Actually, though, crime is less of a risk than vehicle accidents here, as in most foreign travel. The local newspapers are full of graphic accounts of bad outcomes for both types of threats, and, just like at home, a careful reading of the daily paper will convince you that it is simply not safe to leave your padlocked house! Whoever sold a paper that listed all the people who were NOT assaulted in the street for their cell phones that day?! (By the way, Embassy security briefings are another significant vector for heightened anxiety and paranoia!) [NB editors: there is a separate reflection coming for the security briefing topic.] The cost of vehicle mishaps is much on the mind of the current government, but the situation is complex. There are many reasons why vehicle accidents are so common and take so many lives. First, there is the bad infrastructure in many parts of the country, where roads are commonly too narrow, washed out, without guardrails or poorly marked, overcrowded, and lacking shoulders or safety lanes. Next, is the topography itself. If you have to avoid an on-coming vehicle, and you are traveling in one of the mountainous areas (which of course is almost anywhere!), your choices are likely to be limited to crashing into the mountain side of the road or going over the steep cliff on the barranco (ravine) side of the road.
The most important factors, though, relate to matters under human control. Many buses - the main means of transport for the majority of people, whether in town or in rural areas - are in very poor condition. The new government has just announced a program of removing from service all buses that are more than twenty years old or lack essential equipment such as brakes, lights, or licensed drivers. As far as I can tell, this program will effectively eliminate public transportation in Guatemala! I recently read in the Prensa Libre, for example, that there is a profitable business in selling licenses to young men who then can get jobs as bus drivers, some of them with no driving experience at all. And, finally, drivers here, especially truckers and bus drivers take extreme risks such as speeding, passing on blind curves, passing in the same lane, running red lights, and the like. Moreover, no one but very careful drivers and some foreigners ever use seat belts. Obviously, these are not behaviors calculated to reduce risk, and so most reports of accidents include a finding of excessive speed, dangerous driving, or alcohol use. My advice? Stay off buses, travel only in reliable vehicles and with friends (who have a stake in not being involved in an accident with a tourist on board!) or with registered taxi drivers recommended by friends, use seat belts, and don't travel at night. Don't let taxi drivers speed - they mostly don't anyway - and try to be lucky!