Associated press

Nine years ago, the government of Guatemala signed a peace agreement to end the guerilla war that had ravaged the country for 36 years. The war killed more than 100,000 people and left 1 million refugees.

But the violence in Guatemala continues. And the biggest crime wave seems to be the one against women. From May of 2002 to May of this year, 1,366 women were killed in Guatemala. This year alone, 360 women have been murdered. It is known as femicidio, the mass slaughter of women.

The majority of the murders are sadistic and show signs of overkill, according to law enforcement officers. While the majority of men who are killed in Guatemala die of gunshot wounds, two-thirds of the women are raped and stabbed or strangled. Most of the murdered women are young and poor. And it is estimated that about a third of the killings of women are related to domestic violence.

The Associated Press has reported that in 2002, 184 women were killed, in 2003, 250 women, and last year more than 300 women. Other estimates are higher.

The killings send a message of intimidation and fear to girls and women. It keeps them from full participation in their own society. Police officers generally are poorly trained in Guatemala and many police agencies have been infiltrated by organized crime. If suspects are arrested, they are soon released because police are unable to gather enough evidence to try and convict them. Witnesses and judges are threatened and blackmailed.

The U.S. and the international community must put pressure on Guatemala to stop this slaughter of women. The law enforcement and judicial systems must be overhauled to eliminate bias and discrimination against women and to provide help in indigenous languages. More shelters must be built for women fleeing violent situations and relationships.

Women and men from around the world have united with the people of Juarez to raise awareness and stop the killings of women there. The same must be done for the women of Guatemala.