Indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchú was among those who had little to celebrate after the first round of elections on September 9. The Nobel Peace laureate, who ran for president in tandem with the nascent center-left party Encuentro por Guatemala, came seventh out of fourteen candidates, achieving a mere 3% of the votes. Menchú is now regarded by many as the election's greatest loser, as her poor result has dealt a heavy blow to her public image. According to political analysts, Menchú's campaign failed despite the fact that she received widespread media coverage due to a lack of support from grassroots social organizations and the fact that she rushed into the political scene without building a solid support base. It has also been argued that by accepting businessman Fernando Montenegro as her running mate, she alienated many potential supporters on the left. However, others have argued that Menchú's political career is far from over, as her political platform, Winaq is already seeking to learn from its mistakes and is preparing for the next elections in 2012.

The recent arrest of a police officer in connection with the murder of a fellow agent is the latest in a string of cases that have exposed the widespread corruption within the Salvadoran police force. Police chief Rodrigo Ávila, has urged Congress to approve a Police Disciplinary Law that would eliminate the bureaucratic hurdles that impede the swift dismissal of police officers involved in criminal activity. So far this year, only 198 officers of the 666 investigated for alleged human rights abuses and other crimes, have faced dismissal. Meanwhile, the Saca administration is in denial and has downplayed growing concerns about the institutional decay of the police force.

By Mirian Abarca

Traslated by Dylan Ramshaw

A US judge recently dropped Manuel Noriega's 40 year sentence for drug trafficking down to 17 years, but it is unlikely that the former dictator will be free any time soon. He now faces extradition to both Panama, where he was convicted of murder and embezzlement in 1991, and France, where he was convicted of money laundering in 1992. But this appears to be a technicality - by all accounts, Noriega will almost certainly be extradited to France. This is largely because Panama has all but completely forfeited its claims to Noriega. Regardless, Noriega will remain in US custody for the near future – and possibly beyond. Noriega himself wants to return to Panama, where he faces only house arrest, and his lawyer has said that the process could drag on for years.

Three new commissioners chosen to lead the Institute of Access to Public Information (IAIP), were elected with zero transparency, an irony given that the institute was recently set up under a new transparency law. According to the local press, a number of opposition parties, such as the Democratic Unification Party (UD) and the National Innovation and Unity Party (PINU), as well as the civil society coordinator Alianza 72, IAIP directors were elected through political accord rather than on merit and suitability for the position.

By Nicolás Masci

Traslated by Joshua Covey

Ferrovías Guatemala (FVG), a subsidiary of the U.S. based Railroad Development Corporation (RDC), decided to terminate operations, marking an end to the only functioning rail service in the country. However, a legal battle remains unresolved between the State and FVG. Analysts argue that a group of powerful sugarcane growers, interested in operating their own rail-line in the south, are trying to sabotage FVG's activities in cohorts with the Berger administration.