Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Guatemala mourns cabinet deaths

Guatemalans of all political persuasions this week mourned the sudden and accidental deaths of Interior Minister Vinicio Gomez and the Deputy Interior Minister Edgar Umana, on Sunday. The two were killed in an accidental helicopter crash while returning from Peten, the sparsely populated jungle region in the north of the country.

Monday, President Alvaro Colom spoke at what Guatemalan national press described as an emotional ceremony in remembrance of the both Gomez and Umana.

President Colom announced that plans are underway to select substitutes for both fallen officials, and that in doing so he will aim to "respect the institutionality of the processes already underway in the interior ministry."

Guatemalan authorities report that causes of the crash are currently under investigation.

Sources: Reuters, La Prensa Libre, AFP

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