Foreign official expresses concern

By Sharon Christensen, On-Line Forty-Niner

Thursday, October 1, 1998

Despite Guatemala's progress since the peace accords, the country still has further to go, Dr. Eduardo Stein says

In an effort to enhance Guatemala's development, the country needs to deepen democratic practices as well as end racially motivated political exclusion, said Dr. Eduardo Stein, Guatemala's minister of foreign affairs to approximately 30 faculty and students Wednesday at Cal State Long Beach.

After 10 years of negotiations, the peace accords were signed, introducing what Stein called "the closest ... to a national agenda" since the internal armed conflict began.

In addition to implementing democracy, Stein said the military's role in national security and defense is too strong and is in need of redefinition.

Stein said many Guatemalans view indigenous people as more of "a tourist attraction" than a viable population within the country's 11 million inhabitants.

"My country is very racist," he said.

Stein said that one step in modernizing the government's former institutions is changing the income tax system.

The vice ministry, which was set up to collect taxes, created a tax code that was too complex and "designed for loopholes."

"Tax evasion was a major national sport, second only to soccer," Stein said.

The conditions placed on lending by international financial institutions such as environmental, labor and human rights concerns, have been more fads than fundamental issues, he said.

Stein said his country's lack of opportunity in the global market has stunted progress and growth.

Stein received a master's and doctorate degrees in communication sciences from Northwestern University.

He became Guatemala's minister of foreign affairs in January of 1996, 11 months before the end of the country's decades-long civil war.