[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 11, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1871-S1872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      DEATHS OF WOMEN IN GUATEMALA

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I wish to speak about the tragic deaths 
of women and girls in Guatemala and to note the passage of a resolution 
I introduced that is aimed at enhancing efforts by the Governments of 
Guatemala and the United States to address this serious issue. The 
resolution, S. Res. 178, which passed the Senate last night, is 
cosponsored by Senators Boxer, Casey, Dodd, Durbin, Feingold, 
Feinstein, Lautenberg, Leahy, Lincoln, Menendez, Sanders, Smith, and 
Snowe.
  Mr. President, since 2001 more than 2,000 women and girls have been 
murdered in Guatemala. Although the overall murder rate in the country 
is extremely troubling, the murder rate with regard to women has 
increased at an alarming rate it almost doubled from 2001 to 2006. 
While these killings may be due to a variety of factors, what clearly 
unifies these cases is the fact that very few of the perpetrators have 
been brought to justice. It is my understanding that, as of 2006, there 
were only 20 convictions for these killings.
  The general lack of respect for the rule of law, inadequate legal 
protections for women, ongoing violence in the country, corruption, 
insufficient resources, substandard investigations, and the lack of 
independent and effective judicial and prosecutorial systems, all 
contribute to the inability of the Government of Guatemala to hold 
those responsible for these killings accountable for their crimes. The 
result is a sense of impunity for crimes against women in the country.
  The Government of Guatemala has taken some steps to address these 
killings. Guatemala has created special police and prosecutorial units 
to investigate these murders and repealed the so-called ``Rape Law'' 
which had absolved perpetrators of criminal responsibility for rape 
upon the perpetrator's marriage with the victim. The Government also 
entered into an agreement with the United Nations to establish the 
International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, CICIG, which 
has a mandate to investigate and prosecute illegal security groups 
operating with impunity. And Guatemala established the National 
Institute for Forensic Sciences to improve investigatory and evidence 
gathering efforts.
  The resolution the Senate passed last night is aimed at raising 
awareness of this issue and encouraging the Governments of Guatemala 
and the United States to work together to stop these killings. Among 
other things, the resolution: condemns these murders and expresses the 
sympathy of the Senate to the families of women and girls murdered in 
Guatemala; encourages the Government of Guatemala to act

[[Page S1872]]

with due diligence in investigating and prosecuting those responsible 
for these crimes; urges the Government of Guatemala to strengthen 
domestic violence laws and to provide adequate 
resources necessary to improve the integrity of the prosecutorial and 
judicial systems; urges the President and the Secretary of State to 
incorporate this issue into the bilateral agenda between the 
Governments of Guatemala and the United States; and encourages the 
Secretary of State to provide assistance in training and equipping 
special police units to investigate these crimes, implementing judicial 
reforms and rule of law programs, establishing a missing persons 
system, creating an effective witness protection program, and 
supporting efforts to enhance forensic capabilities.
  Mr. President, I believe it is very important to give this issue the 
attention it deserves. Last year, the House of Representatives passed a 
similar measure, which was introduced by Congresswoman Solis. With 
passage of this resolution, I am very pleased that the Senate has 
spoken regarding the need to stop these senseless killings.

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