Guatemala City mayor and former president Álvaro Arzú uses the slogan ´Obras no palabras´ (Works, not words) to distinguish himself from other politicians in Guatemala. Indeed, mr. Arzú has been quite busy working in the infrastructure of the city. He created a new metrobus-system, very similar to the one Mexico City´s chief of government Marcelo Ebrard has created in recent years. Mr. Arzú was credited for his infrastructural achievements by the City Mayor Foundation, an NGO that elects the ´World Mayor´ every two years. In 2005 mr. Arzú was elected third in the competition.
However, not all infrastructural improvements in the city work out well, well intentioned as they may be.
Mr. Arzú created a new system of traffic lights in his current term, which ends this year. The new traffic lights are scattered over the central zones of the city on several major avenues. These new traffic lights contain a countdown light indicating to drivers how many seconds they have left before the lights switch back to red or green.
In a city where traffic is chaotic that might sound like a good option. But unfortunately Guatemala City is also a city where crime is rampant. Most feared are robbers sneaking up behind cars when they are waiting for the traffic light to turn green. The robbers drive a moped, stop next to a car, aim a gun at the driver´s head and quickly take what they can take.
These robberies have become so feared that a large number of cars in Guatemala City now drive around with polarized glass, so that robbers can´t see who´s driving or what loot a car may carry. The robbers themselves have a nervous job; every once in a while one gets shot because a driver they are trying to rob just happens to carry a gun and shoots the thief.
It is because of this practice of robbing cars while they are waiting for traffic lights that not everyone is happy with the new system of ´smart´ traffic lights. Driving around with a Guatemalan friend today, he became visibly nervous when we had to stop for one of the new smart lights.
¨What do you think happens when a robber looks at those lights?¨, he said, nervously checking his rearview mirror for any mopeds coming up from behind. ¨Imagine that the counter indicates that we have 20 seconds left before the light turns green. A robbery may take no more than 15 seconds. A robber waits until the counter hits 15, sneaks up on you and robs you. When he´s done the traffic starts moving again. These traffic lights help them to anticipate their crimes!¨
Arzú certainly isn´t the first Latin American leader trying to prove his worth by building prestigious, modern projects. In Europe and the US NGO´s like the City Mayor Foundation love them for it. Smart traffic lights and a brand new metro system makes a mayor like Arzú look like someone who is really working on improving his city.
To his credit, many of his proyects do improve the city. The new metrobus system streamlines public transportation and a series of new overpasses have made the ride home in the chaotic peak hours a little shorter.
But not everything is a brilliant modernization. The traffic lights with their smart counters actually make Guatemala City, a place where safety is the number one concern for citizens, a little unsafer.
As much as mr. Arzú likes his works more than words, he might have thought that one through a little more.