CABEI granted a loan to Guatemala to finance the construction and equipping of buildings to be used by the Ministry of the Interior, National Police stations, prisons and other projects.
The $300 million will support the "Investment and Modernization Program for the Justice Sector", which will be implemented by the Guatemalan Ministry of Government, reported the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).
With an international loan of $300 million, the Morales administration plans to build two prisons and twelve judicial complexes, and buy 1,500 patrol vehicles.
Through the Ministry of Public Finances the government is petitioning Congress for approval of a $300 million loan with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE).The government's plan is to execute these projects within six years.
A project to build prisons in Jutiapa, Guatemala, Santa Rosa and Escuintla is waiting for congressional approval and budget allocation.
The Ministry of Government in Guatemala has already completed the plans and the projects for the construction of four new prisons. The Planning Department reported that the sum needed is $64.6 million (about Q500 million) in order to start pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies and early construction work.
An award has been made to Ingenieros Civiles Asociados SA de C.V. for a contract for the expansion of Canada prison in the department of Escuintla, Guatemala.
Under the method of purchase by exception and restricted to firms invited to bid in advance, the Directorate General of Prisons has awarded to the company Ingenieros Civiles Asociados S.A. de C.V. the expansion of the Canada prison for $98 million.
A plan is being prepared to implement a pilot project for electronic ankle tags in the prison system before the end of the year.
By the end of 2014, the Guatemalan government will launch a pilot project to implement electronic tags into the prison system, confirmed the chief of Interior, Mauricio López Bonilla.
"... There is a whole map for the developed of this detention methodology, which involves placing electronic ankle bracelets on inmates which are controlled from a monitoring center and in this way relieve pressure on prisons ...."
Instead plans are underway for the acquisition and installation of high security modules in different parts of the country in order to ease current overcrowding.
It will be the next government who will make the decision to build, the Interior Ministry will leave in place the plans and designs for the prison infrastructure.
"We're giving up on big regional prisons which are dictated in the law (to be implemented), because it takes six months for a tender process for pre-investment and six months in tender processes for designs and plans, in this alone one year is wasted and construction takes two years with a further six months for equipping the building, altogether we are talking about three years. I will lay the cornerstone so that the next government can decide whether to continue with any construction," said Interior Minister, Mauricio López Bonilla.
Faced with criticism over multi million dollar direct purchases, the chief of Government justified these measures saying "a bidding tender does not guarantee transparency and honesty."
In interview for Elperiodico.com.gt with Mauricio López Bonilla, Minister of the Interior, the official said that several strategic materials needed for the National Civil Police (PNC by its initials in Spanish) such as weapons, equipment, technology and infrastructure construction, will be some of the purchases made without tender processes.
The tender conditions required proven experience, technical expertise, trained personnel and accreditation in security operations.
Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "Interamerican Investment & Development Corporation (II & DC), a company that won the tender to improve prison infrastructure in ten departments worth Q543.1 million, was created in Nevada, United States two years ago, with a capital of U.S.
The Ministry of Government in Guatemala has ratified the award of the tender for $69 million, to the company II & DC, for prison infrastructure.
Ratification by the Tender Board of the Ministry of the Interior was given after the company met all the requirements of the process.
"... The U.S. firm Interamerican Investment & Development Corporation (II & DC) and the corporation Las Américas Consultores,was one of the ten companies that II & DC will subcontract the renovation of prisons sent the original certificate of registration in the prequalication registry of the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV), after having been requested to.
Following the award of contracts to build 900 modules and expand and remodel 22 prisons, new bidding processes for additional prisons were announced.
An article in AGN reports that "The Guatemala ministry of Interior is to invest Q543,169,775 [$ 69 million] in the expansion and renovation of prisons. On Thursday 25 October, the Ministry of the Interior awarded the construction of 900 new maximum security modules and will be renovating 22 prisons under a concession award identified with the NOG: 2084627, published on the Web site Guatecompras. "
An announced has been made for five prisons with technology in access points, X-rays, biometric identification, and molecular analyzers for drugs, explosives and weapons.
The project announced by Interior Minister Mauricio López Bonilla is part of the modernization of the prison system.
"Our prisons are overcrowded, and so we have conducted a classification of inmates in order to determine who should be in high security prisons, especially now that we are successfully demolishing large structures", said Lopez, who announced that this week work will be done on a tender process for to award the implementation of changes in 22 prisons.
The project, which is in the planning stage, is for accommodation for about a thousand prisoners.
The overpopulation seen in various jails around the country has forced the authorities to seek options to address the problem. Currently, among the Ministry of Interior’s plans is the construction of a maximum security prison.
Although the project is still in the planning phase, it is foreseen that the site will have the capacity to house about 1,000 inmates. The Interior Minister Mauricio López Bonilla, recognizes that to get the construction started will require a large investment, which means they could be using the public-private investment scheme.
The Government presented the draft of the new maximum security prison to be built with a donation from the Government of Taiwan.
Nery Morales, Interior Ministry spokesman said that they have not yet identified the property where it will be built, but are managing two options. He added that they are awaiting a U.S. architect specialized in these types of constructions.
The Ministry of Government put out to tender food services for detainees.
The offer is for the purchase of food served to detainees, security and administrative staff of the following centers: a) Pavón Model Rehabilitation Farm, Fraijanes, Department of Guatemala; b) Preventive Detention for Men Zone 18 of Guatemala, Guatemala department, c) Preventive Detention for Men "Constitutional Reinstatement" Fraijanes (Pavoncito), Department of Guatemala; d) Women's Correctional Center, Fraijanes, department of Guatemala, and ) Preventive Detention Center for Women "Santa Teresa", Zone 18, Guatemala, Guatemala department, f) General Department of Prisons (Headquarters), g) Center of Misdemeanor Offenses for Men, zone 18 Guatemala City, Guatemala Department h) Preventive Detention for Men Fraijanes I, i) Detention Center for Men Fraijanes II, by the General Department of the Penitentiary System.