LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Guatemala: United States
built 643 days ago
In Guatemala, there is a need for 1.2 million houses. Currently, families live in huts or crowded in a small rented room. The great problem is land tenure; since many invade property belonging to the state or to individuals, most poor families are not the legitimate owners of the land they inhabit. These properties do not have basic utilities and are located in high-risk areas, mostly in urban zones. Also, there is a high degree of delinquency and crime.
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Guatemala is a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Guatemala is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Congress of the Republic. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
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Because of Guatemala's non-compliance, the United States may have to end adoption relations with Guatemala once the Hague treaty comes into force here. Alternatively, Guatemala may take the necessary legal steps either to come into compliance with the Hague.
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The common way to get around in Guatemala City is by bus or taxi. Hardly anyone walks (people might find it odd if you do). Traveling inside the city by bus costs Q1.00 (a few routes costs Q1.10 (you'll see a sign in the window of the bus), and everybody charges Q1.25 on Sundays). The buses run from early morning till about eight in the evening. It is not advisable to take the bus after dark. Also, robbery on the buses is quite common (statistics from 2003 shows around 60 robberies per day.)
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The United States, as a member of "the Friends of Guatemala," along with Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Norway, and Venezuela, played an important role in the UN-moderated Peace Accords, providing public and behind-the-scenes support. The U.S. strongly supports the six substantive and three procedural accords, which, along with the signing of the December 29, 1996 final accord, form the blueprint for profound political, economic, and social change. To that end, the U.S. Government has committed more than $260 million to support peace implementation since 1997.
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The U.S. State Department has urged anyone wanting to adopt a child in Guatemala to wait until questions are resolved, yet adoptions of Guatemalan children by Americans rose 15 percent this year, to 4,758, according to the U.S. Embassy. In the last few months... these slowed to a trickle; most U.S. agencies have stopped referring parents to Guatemala.
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