Safety Tips in Guatemala

If the police are not available, call the Guatemalan office of Assistance to Tourists ASISTUR. Even if the police are available, call them anyway

24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

ASISTUR has three phone numbers: 1500, 2421-2810, and 5578-9836.

I have no information on this service- . I'll find out more on my next visit.

Always contact your embassy if there is any trouble. In the old days if you were a US citizen this was a joke - but things have changed a lot at the US embassy which is definitely under new management.

This is the most thorough security advisory site on the internet. Information is updated regularly and it is effective at instilling a sense of caution and preparedness.

I use a risk/reward model. Is the benefit worth the risk. Is it worth taking a shortcut at night to save time or hailing a cab for example.

This is the title of an excellently researched and clearly written report published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in May of 2007. The report analyzes criminal activity in Central America, how it grows, what nourishes it and why it is so difficult to control.

The footnotes alone are worth the read- especially for anyone who has commercial interests in the region.

PDF DOWNLOAD 2 MB

2 more images

Demonstrations vary in size and composition. Spontaneous demonstrations should be avoided.

Altogether different are the organized demonstrations with shouted slogans, banners and loud speakers. (See photos added to this tip) Many are held at the Congress Building (9th Avenida) near the National Palace or downtown near the Bank of Guatemala/Municipal Complex. The mood is generally light. Defiance is generally expressed by masked spray painters who are ignored by the police. (It's easier just to repaint the walls a day later).

This photo (see web address below for write up) shows a demonstration (Feb 10 2005) opposed to CAFTA and GM crops because Guatemalan farmers cannot compete against US subsidized corn and beans- genetically modified or not.

The man on the left is labor leader and human rights activist Nery Barrios- director of UASP and the speaker to his right is a member of Congress- well known in Guatemala but I don't remember her name.

What a change a new administration makes. The US EMBASSY PAGE for Guatemala is well designed and easy to navigate. Someone has done some deep down cleaning- it shows and you should take a look. Links galore for emergencies, non-emergencies, citizen services, medical, travel warnings, sending money, residency transportation and more.

GUATEMALA'S VIOLENT DEATH RATE LOWEST IN FIVE YEARS

25% of all murder victims are other criminals. For tourists, robbery is the foremost concern.

LATEST FIGURES

In 2011 5618 Guatemalans died from violence or 15 per day. 82% of these (4600) died by gunfire. Guatemala City with 1/4 of the population had 60% of all violent deaths.

In 2010: 6502 deaths by violence were recorded or 18 per day.

In 2009 The Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses (Inacif) reported a daily rate of 17 for a total of 6,292

For 2008 The Human Rights Prosecutor's Office reported 18 murders daily. .

Guatemala 's murder rate in 2007 was 44:100,000 or 16 murders daily- this represented a 65% increase over the previous five years -2006 to 2001- and was 10 times the US murder rate.

Guatemala's neighbor EL SALVADOR has a murder rate of 60:100,000
Guatemala's neighbor HONDURAS has an even higher rate of 82:100,000
Guatemala's neighbor MEXICO has the lowest rate at 20:100,000- roughly half that of Guatemala.

HUMAN BOTFLY (Beef Worm)

Bot Flies are picked up in rural areas characterized by grassland, pasture, and cattle. The normal host for a bot fly is a cow. Humans are a delicacy.

Botfly eggs are commonly transported and deposited while you are asleep by mosquitoes, spiders etc. The Larvae (or "warbles" in English) painlessly burrow through broken skin- such as a mosquito bite. The Larvae secure themselves with two "tail" hooks as well by the rough ridges encircling the body (see photo)

SYMPTOMS

The first symptom is intense itching. You'll feel something solid under the skin and soon see a bump with a tiny hole on the skin- this is the punctum through which the larva breathes and discharges waste. Its contractions cause the third symptom- episodes of VERY EXTREME PAIN lasting ten minutes several times a day. Hot compresses and massaging will not help. If you do nothing, in two months the bump will grow much bigger, the larva will emerge, drop off and begin its pupa state of development.

WHAT TO DO

Consult a doctor.
The punctum is the botfly's weak point. Without air, it will die. You can kill it by blocking the hole with epoxy or glue. Tape does not work. Some suggest Vaseline. Wait 12 hours. It can then be removed by manipulation of the muscle.

A comment has been left on my Guatemala Page describing how hydrogen peroxide can be squirted from a syringe into the breathing hole. The author says that the larva will quickly eject itself.

VERY IMPORTANT: NEVER TRY TO FORCE THE LARVA OUT WHILE IT IS ALIVE- NEVER DO THIS!
(Search "worm in stomach" on YouTube to see how NOT to remove this parasite)

Heat may force the larva to stick out its head- but trying to grab it with tweezers with the idea of pulling it out will fail.

The Larva must be dead for safe removal.

After removal, store it in a glass vial with some alcohol to impress and gross out your friends.

Guatemala ranks second globally for death either by malnutrition or alcohol, fourth globally for death by violence and sixth globally for death by drugs. Don't be afraid but don't be foolhardy. If every male in sight sports a tattoo you are probably in the wrong place. However, on the truly amazing side, Guatemala ranks 175th for death by auto.

LISTED IN ORDER OF DEATH FOR GUATEMALA

1) Pneumonia

2): Heart attack

3) Violence- (Guatemala ranks FOURTH globally)

4) Stroke

5) Diabetes

6) Liver Disease - Guatemala ranks ELEVENTH globally

7) Diarrhea

8) Malnutrition - Guatemala ranks SECOND globally

9) Injuries (auto and falls not included)

10) Kidney failure

11) Tuberculosis

12) Hypertension

13) HIV

14) Breast CANCER (Guatemala ranks 74 globally)

15) Peptic Ulcer Disease (Guatemala ranks FOURTH globally)

16) Lung Disease

17) Alcohol -Guatemala ranks SECOND globally

18) Maternal complications

19) Prostate Cancer (63rd globally)

20) Birth Trauma

21) Low Birth Weight

22) Drug Use (Guatemala ranks SIXTH globally)

23) CANCER Guatemala ranks 64th globally

Amazing to anyone who has driven in Guatemala but for DEATH BY AUTO ACCIDENT Guatemala ranks 175th GLOABALLY!!

Finally, half the population is under 17.