Please find attached a 1993 document that provides basic information on the Movimiento de Liberación Nacional (MLN). The document states that a coalition of the MLN and the Frente de Avance Nacional (FAN) holds four seats in Congress, provides an address for the party, describes it as "extreme right-wing," places its membership at 95,000 and names Mario Sandoval Alarcón as its leader (South America, Central America and the Caribbean 1993 1993, 338).

According to a staff member at the Embassy of Guatemala in Ottawa, the MLN still exists and occupies a few seats in Congress (28 June 1994). Although the party is one of the oldest currently in existence and used to be both an influential force and a starting point for politicians who later founded other parties, the MLN has largely lost its preponderance (ibid.). The MLN's undisputed leader has "always" been Lic. Mario Sandoval Alarcón (ibid.). The source was unaware of recent changes in the party's leadership or in the number of congressional seats held since the elections of 11 November 1990.

Elections for a congress that will sit until early 1996 have been scheduled for 14 August 1994, and only the parties currently occupying seats can run candidates (Central America Report 15 Apr. 1994, 2). Information on the specific candidates that each party will present is not currently available to the DIRB.

Please find attached to this Response some documents that discuss recent political developments in Guatemala involving Congress. Although these reports do not refer specifically to the MLN, they are included for your reference.

Central America Report [Guatemala]. 15 April 1994. "Guatemala: Elections Called Amid Turbulence."

Embassy of Guatemala, Ottawa. 28 June 1994. Telephone interview with staff member.

South America, Central America and the Caribbean 1993. 1993. London: Europa Publications.

Barry, Tom. October 1992. Inside Guatemala. Albuquerque, N. Mex.: The Inter-Hemispheric Education Resource Center, pp. 22-25.

Central America Report [Guatemala]. 15 April 1994. "Guatemala: Elections Called Amid Turbulence."

InterPress Service (IPS). 7 October 1993. George Rodríguez. "Congress Sets Out on Path to Overcome Political Crisis." (Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.], 4-17 Oct. 1993, Vol. 8, No. 18, pp. 4-5)

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 16 September 1993. "'Cleansing' Issue Comes to a Head," p. 422.

. 24 June 1993. "Shaky Start to 'Purge' of Congress," p. 279.

. 20 May 1993. "Ruling MAS Sweeps Elections," p. 218.

Miami Herald. 17 September 1993. Tim Johnson. "Guatemala Congress Fights Literally Over Leader's Demands." (Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.], 20 Sept.-3 Oct. 1993, Vol. 8, No. 17, p. 5)

San Francisco Chronicle. 21 June 1993. Trish O'Kane. "Guatemala's Political Culture." (Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.], 14-27 June 1993, Vol. 8, No. 10, p. 6)

South America, Central America and the Caribbean 1993. 1993. London: Europa Publications, p. 338.