U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Guatemalan Army worked with the Guatemalan Police to destroy poppy fields in the municipalities of Tajumulco and Ixchiguan.

The street value from heroin that would have been produced from the poppies was estimated at around $434.5 million dollars.

Drug traffickers from neighboring Mexico have turned San Marcos into a center of poppy cultivation, the Guatemalan police states.

Guatemalan security forces have destroyed more than $1.3 billion worth of opium poppies in San Marcos so far this year, according to officials.

Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil offer food for Guatemala

By Tom Johnson 9-17-09

Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela are responding to Guatemala's plea for help in coping with a food shortage.

President Alvaro Colom says Venezuela and Mexico offered to send rice and other basic grains. Colom says Brazil also offered help, but did not give details.

Guatemala estimates 400,000 families are "at risk of food insecurity" due to adverse weather, poor soil and economic troubles. The government says 25 children have died since January from malnutrition.

The World Food Program will distribute 20 tons of nutritional cookies in the worst-hit areas.

Colom announced the new offers of help on Wednesday, a week after he declared "a state of public calamity" to help mobilize resources.

Guatemala in International Tournament in Libya

Written by Tom Johson - 9-17-09

Tripoli, Libya - Brazil, Spain, Guatemala, Solomon Islands and Libya will take part in an international futsal tournament to be held from 5 to 12 October in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, sports sources told PANA here.

Futsal is a variant of association football that is mainly played indoors with five players a side.

The kick-off date of the tournament 5 October will coincide with the anniversary of the Unionist march, organised in 1961 by Libyan leader Mouammar Kadhafi, then a student.

The logo of the event symbolises the African continent surrounded by the Libyan desert, the green wall and colours of countries participating in the sports event.

A website in different international languages, dedicated to the tournament, has been launched and contains complete information on the evolution of futsal in Libya as well as the country's achievements and results in the sport.

Pollo Campero is coming to Tampa Florida

I cannot wait until Pollo Campero comes to Tampa. My family and I fell in love with Pollo Campero when we were down in Guatemala. Every time we visit Guatemala we stop several times at this fantastic chicken resturant. We all says it beats any fast food chicken resturant here in the States.
By Mark Albright, Times Staff Writer

Posted: Aug 17, 2009 05:28 PM

Pollo Campero — sort of the KFC of Guatemala — has spread to the United States and put the Tampa Bay market in its sights.

Founded in 1971, the no-frills, quick-serve chain expects to have up to three stores locally by the end of 2010 dishing up its marinated, grilled or pressure-fried (and less greasy) chicken, beans, rice and rice pudding. Each store comes equipped with a salsa bar. For signature drinks, Pollo

Image via Wikipedia

Campero pours up Salvadoran and Mexican horchata, tamarindo and marañón.The company has 53 stores in the United States after growing via franchising since 2002, but plans 40 more company-owned ones within 18 months.

To Read the full story Click Here

Guatemala tuk tuk, rickshaw

One of Guatemala forms of transportation is called a tuk tuk or in Asian countries a rickshaw. Guatemala is loaded with these little three wheel vehicles running around taking people from place to place. A Central America form of a taxi.

When in Antigua I like to ride these little vehicles myself. The traffic in Guatemala is terrible and with these little tuk tuk's they can weave in and out of traffic.

Here is a web link to one of my favorite web sites for Antigua Guatemala - TukTuk Meeting.

Per Wikipedia,

Central and South America
The mototaxi or moto is the Central American and Peruvian incarnation of the auto rickshaw. These are most commonly made from the front end and engine of a motorcycle attached to a two-wheeled passenger area in back. Commercially produced models, such as the Indian Bajaj brand, are also employed. In Guatemala the commercial vehicles are referred to as tuk-tuks.
Tuk-tuks operate, both as taxis and private vehicles, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, around the island town of Flores, Peten, in the mountain city of Antigua Guatemala, and in many small towns in the mountains. In 2005 the tuk-tuks prevalent in the Lago de Atitlán towns of Panajachel and Santiago Atitlán all appeared to be from India (Bajaj Auto).
Three-wheeled Coco taxis, resembling a coconut, are used in Havana, Cuba.

Here is a vehicle that we are starting to see on the streets in some communities in Florida;

Agriculture mission in Guatemala wins international acclaim

Taiwan News
By Huang Kuang-chun and Sofia Wu
Central News Agency 2009-07-26 04:08 PM


Panama City, July 25 (CNA) Taiwan's agriculture mission in Guatemala has won acclaim for its achievements in helping the Central American country improve farming technology and develop small farm projects, diplomatic sources said over the weekend.

The achievements have also attracted the attention of major agricultural research institutions from around the world, the sources said.

Among others, representatives of major agricultural research institutes in 12 Latin American countries and Spain visited Taiwan-Guatemala cooperative ventures on July 22, including a food processing factory, a dragon fruit orchard and an organic compost site.

Both Max Gonzalez, head of the Guatemalan Institute of Agricultural Science, and Hector Lopez, governor of Chimaltenango province where the research institute operates a branch, expressed gratitude for the Taiwan mission's outstanding contribution to their country's agricultural development over the years.

Taiwan's agricultural mission now posts two technicians and three diplomatic conscripts in Chimaltenango to teach and guide local farmers in planting crops and gaining food processing know-how.

Meanwhile, Gonzalo Ochaeta, vice minister of agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries of Guatemala, recently also led a group of senior Guatemalan officials and government advisers on a visit to a bamboo arts and crafts teaching center in Cuyuta City, which is also operated by Taiwan's agriculture mission.

The mission has promoted bamboo cultivation and crafts in Guatemala and the Cuyuta center has emerged as the best-equipped bamboo arts and crafts teaching center in Central America.
Besides offering courses on how to cultivate bamboo and make bamboo handicrafts, and providing bamboo furniture manufacturing technologies, the center now also focuses on offering bamboo architecture teaching services.

Under a bilateral cooperation project, Taiwan's agricultural mission has been using bamboo as the key material in building classrooms and low-cost housing units for schools in remote regions of the country and for hurricane victims.

In addition, the mission has provided 100,000 bamboo seedlings to promote bamboo cultivation under a rural development project in cooperation with the Guatemalan Presidential Office.
During his recent visit, Ochaeta said he was impressed by the accomplishments of various Taiwan-Guatemalan agricultural cooperation projects.

Noting that bamboo cultivation and utilization has great development potential in Guatemala, Ochaeta said his department will send promotional staff to the Cuyuta center for training as seed instructors to help spread banboo arts and crafts to every corner of the country.

Ceviche, Seviche

Ceviche

Ceviche is a form of citrus-marinated seafood appetizer, popular in mainly Latin American countries, such as South America, Guatemala, Mexico, and etc.For the most part everybody has there own variation of this dish, but for the most part it is a citrus-based mixture, with lemons and limes being the most commonly used. In addition to adding flavor, the citric acid causes the proteins in the seafood to become denatured, which pickles or "cooks" the fish without heat. Traditional style ceviche was marinated up to 3 hours. Modern style ceviche usually has a very short marinating period. With the appropriate fish, it can marinate in the time it takes to mix the ingredients, serve, and carry the ceviche to the table.

Ceviche Recipes Made From Scallops (Scallop Seviche)

Clean scallops and put in a colander. Pour boiling water over them and let drain. Mix the onion and hot pepper (chopped very fine), garlic, mustard pickle, oregano, and vinegar. Put scallops into this mixture and let marinate for 30 minutes. Then add salt, pepper, olive oil, catsup, and lime juice. The lime juice should cover the mixture. Place in a glass container, cover and let stand in refrigerator 24 hours before eating. (Stir with a wooden spoon from time-to-time. Some metal spoons will tarnish from the acids.)

1 1/2 pounds scallops (Bay scallops preferred)

1 hot pepper

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup lime juice (or more if needed)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, mashed

2 teaspoons mustard pickle

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons catsupsalt

and pepper to taste

Simple Ceviche Ingrid Hofman

Ingredients

1 pound yellowtail snapper or sea bass fillets, cut into

1/2-inch pieces

1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

3 limes, juiced

1 tablespoon seeded and finely chopped jarred aji amarillo peppers or fresh habanero

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Canchita, Recipe follows

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the fish with the onion, lime juice, and chile; season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine, being sure to coat the fish with the lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, do not marinate longer or the acids from the lime will make the fish mushy. Serve cold with cilantro and canchita on top.