I'm a bit late in reporting the news, but I wasn't able to find the time to write in the last couple of weeks. Sorry
During the week that went from May 5th to 11th the situation in Guate City was pretty tense. Due to nonconformity to the City's Mayor Álvaro Arzú Policy on heavy transport vehicles transit hours restrictions (established as an attempt to reduce traffic on rush hour) vehicles transporting fuel and gas to the city were kept out by a heavy transport pilots' strike for almost the whole week.
Whilst in 2004 the restrictions were set from 6.00 to 8.30 and from 17.00 to 20.00, they're currently set from 5.00 to 9.00 and from 16.00 to 21.00. Pilots argue that they're forced, by the Mayor's Policy, to travel exclusively during night hours and that this increases the risks of being assaulted or having accidents. They are not happy.
People in the city panicked and, of course, were fast to get to the next gas station to fill up their cars' tanks. By Monday night gas prices had already raised and by Wednesday, you couldn't get gas anywhere. It was chaos. Some public collective transportation routes were suspended because the buses had no gas, and many people were unable to use their cars for the same reason.
Pilots and Government weren't able to find an agreement and on Thursday 7th President Colom decreed a "Contingency Plan" applying to the whole country, which according to Wikipedia "is a plan devised for a specific situation when things could go wrong" but in simple words it means that the Government is given more power over the citizenship rights, for a specific period of time.
And it worked, because by Friday you could fill up your car's tank in basically any gas station in the city. Anyhow...the controversy continues and I've already had a few people advise me to fill up my car's tank again, since rumor says this week the same problem will re-appear.
Pilots want no restrictions at all. This is not possible. Traffic in the city is unbearable as it is--- nevertheless, they must be heard and listened to, by the citizenship and by the Government. Guatemalan people...we tend to demonize any popular claim, but we mustn't; the heart of our so very desired Democracy is in popular participation and in the politization of the citizenship (I know, "politization" isn't a word, but hopefully it helps explain what I'm trying to say). In the Pilots case, it's true that they're put in a vulnerable position by this specific Guatemala City's Policy. Albeit, it is a necessary measure. Perhaps some other arrangement can be think of: more security on the roads, a better pay, an agreement with their customers (who argue about their products' arrival time)...no?
Dialogue and true compromise from the Government. That's what this country needs!
It's kind of ironic that all over the city -starting last week I believe- you can find Government payed billboards that appear as something like a crossroad where one way says "Chapuces" which means, in popular slang, short-term solutions, something apparent, not real. The other way says something like "real solutions". And it shows we're (Guatemalans) taking the road that leads to "real solutions" with Álvaro Colom's Government. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the "Contingency Plan" was a bit of a "chapuz". I don't pretend to understand anything at all, but that's just the impression it gave me. Oh well...
Anyways...hopefully this problem will soon be solved and we'll all live happily ever after. Mmm
Here's some of the Government's Propaganda I just mentioned:
