Yesterday, the deputies of the Congress of the Republic approved a reform to the Temporary Law of Comprehensive Development, a change that benefits military veterans who were not registered in 2022, so the number of beneficiaries of the program might increase.
The reform was supported by 102 congressmen, including those allied with the ruling party, while independent deputies —elected by the Semilla Movement— voted once morest the proposal.
The amendment to decree 51-2022, which created the legal norm, guarantees that these former military personnel will receive Q36,000 over a three-year period and it will be delivered to them in installments.
The bill was presented in April of last year by Vamos deputies Shirley Rivera and Sergio Arana, the latter currently an ally of the government.
The changes
The changes to the law require the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) to receive the files of new applicants for the economic benefit, for which they are given a period of 45 days.
The ruling initially authorized the registration of potential beneficiaries for 30 days. An amendment by the Vamos bloc, supported by deputy Adim Maldonado, of the National Unity of Hope (UNE), extended the deadline.
The Executive has stated that in order to pay the current beneficiaries of the program, Congress must approve a budget increase of Q14,451 million.
However, an amendment supported by the Finance Committee and by Maldonado, which was approved, authorizes the Government to use the cash balances of the current budget so that Mides can comply with the new financial commitments.
The discussion
The approval of the reform began with a debate between the opposition and the government, a battle that the opposition ultimately won.
The deputies elected by Semilla were booed not only by the opposition, but also by military veterans who were placed in the visitors’ box.
Allan Rodriguez, from Vamos, criticized the ruling party. “Vamos has fulfilled its promise (…) I assure you that if this initiative had been for compensation for those subversives, they would have voted for it,” he said.
Elmer Palencia, from the Valor bloc, said that the law will considerably increase the number of beneficiaries. “We gave 45 more days so that nearly 60 thousand military veterans who were left out of this program can join,” he said.
Against
The pro-government deputy Raúl Barrera described the reform as populist. He even doubts that it will be approved by President Bernardo Arévalo.
“Considering that the initiative is anti-technical and contains unconstitutionalities, I would even doubt that the president would sanction it. Whether due to lack of sanction or an action of unconstitutionality, it will not prosper,” he said.
The deputy said: “This bill has an electoralist and populist foundation; that is why we are once morest it.”
The reform will be submitted to Congress for editing and editing. It will then be sent to the Presidency of the Republic for approval.
When asked how much the number of beneficiaries might grow, Colonel Daniel Martínez, spokesman for the Guatemalan Army, said: “That information is handled by Mides; the training is handled by the Ministry of the Environment. We only provide facilities and furniture, but they are the ones who have that information,” while Mides indicated that they did not yet have an official position.
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