Partially state-owned bank Banrural, one of the most important banks in Guatemala is in the spotlight, as well as President Alvaro Colom, which leads to thinking that the aim is to destabilize the social atmosphere in Guatemala, according to Carlos Muralles, legal representative of the organization CEIBA-Friends of the Earth.

Lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg was murdered on May 10th. He had taped himself accusing Colom, his wife and other high officials of his potential murder. Rosemberg also accused Colom of the murder of a businessman linked to Banrural, Khalil Musa and his daughter last month.

In the 18 minute tape, the lawyer can be seen explaining the reasons why he could be murdered.

“The reason I´m dead is because I was lawyer of businessman Khalil Mussa and his daughter” says Rosenberg in the videotape. The lawyer also wrote a document explaining the reasons for his murder.

However, in spite of the great dissemination of the details of the crime, and the strength of the audiovisual document, CEIBA remains suspicious: “we suspect this may by a move by the main businesses of the country” to take over Banrural and deactivate some public policies of Colom´s government, stated Muralles to Real World Radio.

Muralles stated that “many people are taking advantage of the opportunity to discredit the administration, and to create an atmosphere of destabilization and to throw social programs overboard, so that these can be used in business programs.”

Moreover, Muralles expressed that the aim is also to discredit Banrural, whose board is made up by social and peasant organizations, aiming at taking out financing and taking over the bank.

The member of CEIBA didn´t rule out the possibility that the Guatemalan government had in fact incurred in dirty businesses. “We are not completely defending the government. However, we are giving the adminstration the benefit of the doubt. We demand a real investigation to be carried out and we believe the potential responsibility of the government and of those who want to take advantage of the situation must be cleared”, he said.