Latinnews Daily April 27, 2004 Tuesday GUATEMALA: Berger to ask Bush to lift arms embargo President Oscar Berger will ask his US counterpart George W Bush to raise the embargo on arms sales to Guatemala, foreign minister Jorge Briz said yesterday. The two leaders are due to meet on Friday, on the second day of BergeraE(TM)s five-day trip to the US. The US ban on arms sales has been in effect since 1979 and was prompted by concerns over GuatemalaaE(TM)s human-rights record during the 1960-1996 civil war, in which over 200,000 people died. Since then, Guatemala has been forced to buy its weapons from Israel and Taiwan. According to Briz, Berger will impress upon Bush that the Guatemalan armed forces need better equipment. Working in BergeraE(TM)s favour will be his recent moves to cut the size of the military from 27,000 men to 15,000 by 30 June. Berger will also ask Bush to strengthen US support for the governmentaE(TM)s campaign against the illegal narcotics trade. LOAD-DATE: April 27, 2004