By Herbert Hernandez
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Protesters in Guatemala angeredby the brutal murders of bus drivers this week blocked trafficon Thursday demanding more security from the country's newlyelected government.
Over the past week, close to a dozen bus drivers and farecollectors have been murdered, with five killed on Tuesdayalone. The government says it was a coordinated assault.
"The situation is really bad ... nobody wants to work ifthey are going to get killed," said one city driver whodeclined to be named, as military helicopters circled above.
Attacks against bus drivers are common in Guatemala, one ofthe most violent countries in the Americas, with 48 murderedlast year. Many of the killings are blamed on violent youthgangs extorting fees from drivers.
Guatemala's new left-leaning President Alvaro Colom saidorganized criminals trying to destabilize his government werebehind the murders.
"These are terrorist attacks against the government," Colomsaid on Thursday. "Five bus drivers were killed systematicallyby professionals."
Colom beat a right-wing former general in last year'selection promising to reduce endemic poverty and crime.
Since the bookish former businessman took office he hasfired 72 military and 32 police officers for suspected links tocriminal gangs.
Guatemala is a transit point for drug traffickers movingColombian cocaine up through Mexico and into the United States.
(Additional reporting by Brendan Kolbay, editing by PhilipBarbara)
