By Mark Holston

This correspondent recently stood on a street corner in Guatemala's second-largest city and watched a solemn procession pass by. Eight hearses, each carrying the body of a national policeman murdered the day before during a late-night assault on a remote outpost, moved slowly past Quetzaltenango's regal central plaza on their way to a funeral service attended by the country's president, Otto Pérez Molina, and the officers' grieving family members.

The story of this brazen attack - carried out, government investigators charge, by members of a drug gang and involving several rogue policemen - received little notice in the U.S. In Guatemala, however, the bloody incident became an overnight symbol of the country's increasingly desperate effort to combat drug-related violence.

Department of State Warning: Guatemalan Travel Danger is "Critical"

The U.S. government has taken note of recent trends in this country of 14 million. In its most recent assessment of personal security concerns related to Guatemalan travel, the U.S. Department of State, on its Travel.State.Gov website, warned potential visitors that "the threat of violent crime in Guatemala is rated by the U.S. Department of State as critical."

Among other conclusions of the official statement: "The number of violent crimes reported by U.S. citizens and other foreigners has remained high and such crimes have occurred even in areas of Guatemala City once considered safe," and "Due to large scale drug and alien smuggling, the Guatemalan border with Mexico (and in particular the northwestern corner of Petén) is a high-risk area." Even the operation of the Peace Corps has been effected. The organization has made "off-limits" to its members areas of the country with particularly high incidents of crime.

Our sister publication, Latin Business Chronicle, ranks Guatemala No. 4 on its list of the most dangerous countries in the region, up from No. 5. Only Haiti, Venezuela and Honduras are ranked less secure in its Latin Security Index. The publication notes that, "Despite the militarization effort put forth by President Otto Pérez last year to combat transnational drug cartels, Guatemala continued to see high rates of violence, especially along its northern border with Mexico, as cartels battled to gain territory."

Guatemalan Government Mobilizes for Action

Earlier this year, in the immediate aftermath of the murders of the police officers, Guatemala's president, a retired army general, mobilized military troops to join the national police force (Policía Nacional Civil) in what is increasingly being seen as an all-out "war" against drug cartels.

In recent years, the country has become a transit point for the movement of illicit narcotics from centers of production in South America to the U.S. and Europe. Drug-related murders helped increase Guatemala's homicide rate, always one of the highest in the region, to record levels three years ago. Although the murder rate has fallen slightly since then, and is less than that of neighboring Honduras and El Salvador, it remains one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere at 38 homicides per 100,000 population (by contrast, Argentina's rate is just 3.4 murders per 100,000 while Canada's is a mere 1.6).

During the country's 26-year-long civil war (1960 - 1996), which cost more than 200,000 lives, tourist visitations from abroad was greatly diminished. Guatemala had just begun to regain a foothold with international visitors when drug-related violence emerged as an equally troublesome threat. 

Some Paint a Rosier Picture and Downplay Worries

It is, however, not all gloom and doom in the view of leaders of the country's tourism sector. Pedro Duchex, the director of Guatemala's national tourism institute, noted in a recent interview some telling statistics. Close to 70% of the country's visitors come not from neighboring regions of El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. The country's Mayan ruins and strong indigenous culture in such highlands destinations as Antigua and Chichicastenango, plus Guatemala City's role as a magnate for shopping and cultural activities, have proven to be strong attractions for residents of nearby countries.

In a potential telling move, the famed Montreal, Canada-based Cirque du Soleil recently gave an extended run of performances in the capital. The attraction resulted in full occupancy at many leading hotels and brisk business at restaurants and bars in the city's Zona Viva, the trendy district where most well-heeled visitors spend much of their time.

Duchex and any hotelier one asks are quick to make the point that 90% or more of the country's homicides are related to the drug trade and that the likelihood of foreign visitors being the victims of such crimes is not high.

Caution, not Paranoia, Advised

A recent swing through a number of cities in the western third of the country proved to be safe enough, although I followed the Department of State's suggestions of not traveling by road at night and avoiding use of the country's rickety and inherently unsafe public transportation system. Primary highways are generally excellent, and private drivers provide secure, comfortable and not overly costly service for inter-city trips.

Guatemala has much to offer both cultural tourists and those doing business. Personal security issues should be taken into account but not exaggerated. With proper planning, an up-to-date assessment of the current security situation, common sense and a bit of caution, a trip can be safe, simple and productive.

Read more on Latin Business Chronicle's Latin Security Index. (Subscription required)

Photos - Guatemala City arch: iStock-bilge; Guatemalan Security Forces:  iStock-benkrut

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