SOLOLÁ — Police corruption now comes in a new flavor here, as a local farmer caught two police officers stealing his onions by night.
Juan Vicente, a Kaqchikel farmer, noticed his onion harvest wasn’t quite up to par and he began to suspect a thief, reports the Prensa Libre in today’s edition. So beginning this past Sunday evening, Juan and his family decided to post watch by their fields.
At 11 p.m. Wednesday, they discovered two thieves in the fields, trying to make off with Juan’s onions. Onion prices are high now, and a gunny sack can fetch upwards of $100 or more.
When Juan and his family grabbed the thieves, they discovered they were armed police officers. The cops threatened to kill the farmers, who let them go but kept the police jacket of one of the officers.
The next day, Juan presented his accusation against the two officers. Townsfolk were rightly perturbed, and they thronged to the police station; the dialogue lasted five hours (police are seen here wearing black uniforms in center). Eventually the officers admitted their guilt and agreed to pay 5,000 quetzales (about $666) as compensation. In return, the farmer agreed not to press charges.
Where’s John the Baptist when you need him? The fiery prophet’s pointed words for corrupt soldiers would apply nicely to Sololá’s police officers.
“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages,” Luke 3:14. We might add, “And don’t steal onions!”
Please pray for Guatemala’s authorities. We need a John the Baptist and Christ’s transforming power.
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These photos show some local onion fields here in the Guatemalan highlands. Farmers use stepped farming as in many other parts of the world because of the steep hills.
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