Transition Initiatives: Guatemala
PROGRAM NOW CLOSED Dates of Program: January 1997 - December 1998
Bringing
The Peace To Life *
In December 1996, thirty years of
violent turmoil in Guatemala ended with the signing of a peace
accord that established immediate plans for the demobilization and
initial incorporation of the rebel forces, the Unidad Revolucionaria
Nacional Guatematelca (URNG), and reduction of the Guatemalan army.
OTI's objective was to provide emergency support to facilitate
completion of the demobilization process within the tight timeframe
set up by the accords.
Between the signing of the
peace accords and OTI, through
USAID, was also one of the first donors to pledge support for an
ambitious re-training program for 1,722 ex-combatants of the
Guatemalan government's Mobile Military Police units--as part of the
downsizing of the national military. As a result of OTI's
$730,000 contribution and its ability to leverage additional
support, the $3.4 million project is now fully funded.
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Reductions in the size of the Guatemalan military could have been disastrous if training programs had not offered legitimate alternative employment opportunities. These former military combatants are learning how to become tailors. |
OTI, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),
and the European Union divided costs and responsibilities for a
coordinated, collaborative response to demobilization and
incorporation needs. This agreement covered the construction of the
demobilization camps and was extended to include coverage of other
activities, including microenterprise grants to ex-combatants.
Alternatives to Crime
Demobilization processes are often accompanied by
sharp increases in crime. For this reason, careful
attention has been paid to criminal activities of
ex-combatants, both former government soldiers and
ex-rebels. When OTI closed its program in support of
initial integration in Guatemala, none of the
ex-combatants trained by its programs had been
implicated in criminal activities. Possibly as a result
of this relatively stable process of incorporation,
Guatemala has thus far successfully avoided retaliation
against ex-combatants.
In addition, OTI funding helped resettle families who had been
internally displaced deep into the mountains, due to fighting
between the army and the guerrillas. OTI also provided small
infrastructure improvements on the lands where these families were
being settled.
Significant collaboration occurred with the
International Organization for Migration, UNDP, the government of
Guatemala, URNG, the Organization of American States,
USAID/Guatemala, the World Bank, and the European Union.
OTI
Assistance in FY 1997: $4,706,000
OTI
Assistance in FY 1998: $2,031,000
Total OTI
Assistance to Date (FY 97-98): $6,737,000
* OTI closed its
Guatemala program in December 1998.
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