>January 24th, 1996
>
>To : Guatemala Research
> Amnesty International IS
>
>From : Bruce Harris
> Casa Alianza Latin America
>
>With the changes of government in Guatemala, we are all pulled into the
>false hope that the new authorities will be able to - or want to - pull out
>a magic wand and stop the tremendous violence against the street children.
>
>But then our bubble of false hopes is popped....
>
>In the early morning of Sunday, January 21st, 1996, at approximately 03:00
>hours, a group of ten street children and youth were sleeping in the
>entrance of a pedestrian shopping precinct on 18th street between 5th and
>6th Avenues in Zone 1 of Guatemala City. The group included Juan Pablo
>Mendez (15), Carlos Antonio Mej=EDa Ch=E1vez (aka Mario Mej=EDa, or=
=93Flash=94) (20)
>and other minors with nicknames of =93Vaquero=94, =93Diablo=94 and =93Fina=
=94. At
>present we do not have the names of the remaining children.
>
>At approx 3am, a male dressed in civilian clothes came upon the group of
>children and, without saying anything, started firing his pistol into the
>group of children huddled together for warmth. Carlos Antonio Mej=EDa was h=
it
>first and received two bullets - once in the neck and once in the chest.
>Upon hearing the shots and screams, the other children woke up and ran. The
>unidentified man continued firing indiscriminately at the children. Juan
>Pablo M=E9ndez (15) was frozen on the floor in shock and the man turned and
>pointed the gun at him. Juan Pablo lifted his legs to try and protect
>himself, and the man fired and hit the boy in the lower right leg
>(ocasion=E1dole una herida entre la tibia e el peron=E9). The man then ran =
off...
>
>The children described the aggressor as approximately 35 years old, bearded=
,
>muscular, approx. 1.75 metres tall, moreno, wearing a mustard color jumper
>and jeans.
>
>Juan Pablo stated to Casa Alianza staff that a street girl called Carla,
>collected two bullet heads that she found on the pavement where the boys
>were sleeping. We are trying to find Carla. The boy also said that he is
>scared that the aggressor may be a member of the National Police =93porque
>=E9stos constantamente nos ex=EDgen dinero y objetos robados y como =FAltim=
amente
>no les hemos proporcionado, entonces como forma de intimidarnos sea =E9sta=
=94.
>
>Carlos Antonio Mej=EDa is in the Emergency Ward of the San Juan de Dios
>Hospital where he was operated on early Sunday morning, and he is still in
>critical condition. Juan Pablo was also taken to the emergency room of the
>San Juan de Dios Hospital where they put his leg in plaster. He was
>discharged to the Casa Alianza Crisis Center at 10am the same Sunday. Casa
>Alianza is undertaking x-rays to make sure that there is no damage or to se=
e
>if the bullet is still in the boy=92s leg.
>
>At present there is no further information regarding the attacker. Nothing
>has appeared in the local press about this incident. I will keep you
>informed. Saludos.
>
>