Guatemalan minister killed in helicopter crash

June 28, 2008

Vinicio Gómez, the Guatemalan Interior Minister and Édgar Hernández Umaña, the deputy Interior Minister, were yesterday killed in a helicopter crash, according to government officials. The helicopter lost contact at 19:08 UTC yesterday, and as a result, this is believed to be the time that the accident occurred.

A spokesperson for the Guatemalan government said that the accident was caused by bad weather. They also stated, one their official website, that the incident occurred at a point 42 miles away from La Aurora International Airport, the country's major international airport.

A spokesperson for the Guatemalan government highlighted the official response to the events. "The government is distraught and regrets the death of a key minister, who had done good work in a few months in office," he said.

"The Mexican government is already lending its support. It has put a plane at the president's disposal to take him from Villahermosa to Guatemala tomorrow," continued Fernando Barrillas, the spokesperson.