Guatemala: UN hails Government's promise to halve army, military budget

The UN Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) has welcomed the country's decision to reduce its army and military budget by half.

MINUGUA hailed the drastic cut, announced yesterday by President Oscar Berger, as the most significant change for the Guatemalan Army in decades, and one fully in keeping with the spirit of the 1996 Peace Accords.

The initiative reflects changes which have taken place in recent years both nationally, with the end of the internal armed conflict, and globally, with the increase in threats posed by terrorism and drug trafficking requiring an adapted military response, the Mission said. It will also serve to reduce Guatemala's army to a size comparable to those of other Central American nations.

In addition, the 50 per cent reduction in the Guatemala's military budget will allow funds to be freed up for priority social needs such as education, health and public security, MINUGUA said.