Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

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 Guatemala has created special police and prosecutorial units to investigate these murders and repealed the so-called ``Rape Law'' which had absolved perpetrators of criminal responsibility for rape upon the perpetrator's marriage with the victim.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 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.