Over the past year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has received $170 million from the Guatemalan government for road and port infrastructure projects that are deepening its dependence on the U.S. Juan Luis García writes in the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) website on the increasing US military presence in Guatemala and how it is seemingly replacing normal diplomatic channels.

Last month, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) presented an update on developments on Justice and Human Rights in Guatemala and some of the issues covered included: MP Ends Effort to Place Zamora in Detention Court Cancels Arrest Warrants for Former Prosecutors Court Dismisses Suit Against Molina Theissen Family Students Opposing Mazariegos Denied Enrollment Evictions Increase in 2026 Court Suspends Consultation Agreement…

Brian Munoz writes on the St. Louis Public Radio website, part of the NPR network, about the consequences of U.S. migration policies on a Guatemalan couple living in Overland, Missouri. This is a story of the human costs of the fear and violence of these policies. An Overland couple who had recently returned to Guatemala was found bound and shot to death in a sugarcane field.

Key Ideas Guatemalan farmers are turning to organic pesticides, rooted in traditional practices and sustainable ideas, to replace expensive synthetic alternatives. Using a mixture of locally available plants, and ideas about farming passed down by ancestors, they are creating natural pesticides to protect their plots. Cheaper than agrochemicals, these biopesticides are safer to use and don’t cause the ecological damage associated with chemical use.

In Guatemala’s Maya biosphere reserve local people are making a living from trees at the same time as increasing forest cover, showing nature is best protected by those who depend on it. Mark Hillsdon writes in The Guardian as part of the publication’s Age of Extinction series. Illegal logging is an increasing issue across Central and South America tied into power and criminality.

In a rural hamlet in Chimaltenango, the remains of dozens of victims of the Guatemalan armed conflict piled up in a dingy storage room for decades. Now, their families have begun a burial that the government had promised but never carried out. Yuliana Ramazzini writes, movingly, in El Faro English about a long-delyed burial for victims of the internal armed conflict and reminds us about the violence, racism, and brutality of the Guatemalan armed forces, and the state, in that period and about the affect on individuals.

She set an example of love, courage, and service for all whose lives she touched. The Summer 2026 edition of El Quetzal, from The Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC), has recently been published. The recent renewal of key leadership within the justice system, particularly the appointment of a new Attorney General, has contributed to a less confrontational climate and opened the possibility for long-awaited institutional change.

"It was a pivotal experience to work and live for 12 months alongside my team and learn directly from human rights defenders.” - Former PBI Guatemala volunteer PBI’s field volunteer programme is one of the most direct ways to support human rights defenders on the ground. Our team in Guatemala is now recruiting and is looking for committed individuals ready to serve as trained international observers, accompanying defenders in courtrooms, at protests, and in communities facing threats.

Yuliana Ramazzini has an interesting interview in El Faro English with the Guatemalan Defense Minister, Henry Sáenz. He talks about the roll of the Guatemala defense forces today, rooting out corruption within state security forces, how he views the relationship with the U.S., the challenges posed by narco-trafficking, and regional security, among other things. Since the beginning of his administration in 2024, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has become a close ally of the United States, despite the ideological divide between a conservative president like Donald Trump and one who describes himself as a social democrat.

I wanted to share this post from Rights Action to celebrate their work and to give voice to the community of Santa María Tzejá. Rights Action supporters may recall that from 1995-2010 we helped fund an empowering education project in the Maya community of Santa Maria Tzeja, Ixcan, Quiche, Guatemala. Over the years, the education program grew to strengthen primary school, and add middle and high school, and scholarships for university.

Shared by Amnesty UK, Lawyers for Lawyers has joined the statement of the International Mission of Jurists for Guatemala following the appointment of Gabriel García Luna as the new Attorney General of the Republic and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Guatemala, who will assume office on 18 May 2026. In the context of this appointment, the Mission underscores that a genuine democratic transition is essential to reverse the patterns of criminalisation against lawyers and other justice operators in Guatemala.

Juan Francisco Sandoval, the former head of Guatemala’s Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI). writes in El Faro English about the need for Guatemala to discuss and tackle the systemic issues at the heart of the judicial system. There is little to be gained by proclaiming the winner in a race unless there are genuine attempts to tackle the rules of the race as well.

Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez shares, through the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC), his thoughts following the inauguration of Gabriel Estuardo García Luna as the new Attorney General. He examines how, under the administration of María Consuelo Porras, the Guatemalan judicial system was turned into a selective mechanism of intimidation against independent justice operators, indigenous peoples, human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers.

Marlies Stappers and Denis Martinez write in Impunity Watch about the newly appointed Attorney General, Gabriel García Luna, and the disastrous legacy of the previous AG, Consuelo Porras. The piece covers the various attempts of the incumbent AG to remain in a position of power within the judicial system and talks of the other judicial elections in Guatemala which are, themselves, of significance.

A new attorney general took office in Guatemala amid calls to restore confidence after his predecessor fueled the ranks of exiles and prisoners of conscience. This removes what President Arévalo had long called an obstacle: an adversary as top prosecutor. Yuliana Ramazzini writes in El Faro English on the new Attorney General in Guatemala and the challenges ahead. The piece outlines some of the twists and turns in the process and the various ways in which Consuelo Porras sought to remain in power, at some level.

Costa Rican President Laura Fernández tells Israel she’s willing to open an embassy in Jerusalem. U.N. experts demand proof of life for Nicaraguan Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera. El Salvador tried…

A new Guatemalan AG is set to take office May 17, capping years of selective justice. Guatemalan journalist Carlos Humberto Cal Ical is killed in Alta Verapaz. Bukele escalates a tax crackdown…

Ana María Méndez Dardón recently wrote in Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) about the challenges facing the rule of law in Guatemala as it seeks to select a new Attorney General and how Washington may, or may not, engage. Guatemala once again faces a pivotal opportunity to restore democratic institutions and rebuild the rule of law by selecting a new Attorney General.

Guatemala’s Attorney General for 8 years is bound to leave her office. She has been the nightmare of anticorruption prosecutors, human rights activists and transitional justice advocates. But does it signal profound change? Jody García writes in Justice Info on the major change to the post of Attorney General with the removal of Consuelo Porras from the list of prospective candidates.

In Guatemala high-stakes elections continue to be the battleground for forces of progress and forces against it. Elections for University of San Carlos rector are taking place in a climate of fear and intimidation, leading the Organization of American States to call on police to protect voters and candidates. The nominating committee for attorney general continues its work of winnowing a list of 49 candidates down to 6 for President Arévalo to select among.

Guatemala’s two major gangs appear to be evolving in different directions: The notorious 18th Street has waded into politics; the government suggests it is being politicized to stoke chaos. Meanwhile, in a series of strategic moves, MS-13 has wrested the monopoly on street-level drug dealing from the cartel that had held it for over 30 years. Carlos Martínez writes in…

Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) presented a translation of a press release on behalf of The Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR), The Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese of Guatemala (ODHAG), and the Institute of Comparative Studies in Criminal Sciences of Guatemala (ICCPG). Today, March 12, 2026, we presented to the honorable rapporteur of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Andrea Pochak, a petition against the State of Guatemala, primarily regarding the DENIAL OF JUSTICE in the case known as the Ixil Genocide, during the Lucas García period, which began in 2001 and went to trial 23 years later, when it was interrupted by an illegal ruling issued by the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals, whose members have direct ties to corrupt individuals seeking impunity. You can read the full statement, with a link to the original, here, Statement from AJR.

José Enrique Arrioja writes in Americas Quarterly about the continuing challenges facing President Arévalo in the face of gang violence, institutional corruption and high disapproval rates. From the moment he took office, President Bernardo Arévalo raised expectations with his talk of a “democratic spring”—bringing not just prosperity, but a sense of institutional calm to Guatemala. In some respects, the most progressive leader in the country’s recent history has delivered.

Carlos Barrera presents a piece of photo-reportage on El Faro English highlighting challenges of emigrating to the US from Quetzaltenango (Xela) and subsequent deportation and re-integrating back into Guatemala, sometimes after many years of being away. The piece highlights the work of the Garibaldi Association of Migrants and Deportees (Asociación de Migrantes y Deportados Garibaldi – AMIDEGA). When Vicente Sacor was deported from Los Angeles, California, in 2008, he faced a reality he wasn’t prepared for.

Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) recently posted a report by Juan Francisco Sandoval, former head of the Special Office Against Impunity in Guatemala, now in exile. The report explains the critical moment Guatemala is entering. President Arévalo will receive a shortlist of candidates for the attorney general position by April 17 and will make his selection by May 17. Among the candidates is current Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been sanctioned for corruption by more than 43 countries.

Recently, the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) posted a piece on a discussion forum, of which they were part, to share insights and discuss how international investment treaties allow transnational corporations to sue governments within the context of the experiences of the struggle of La Resistencia Pacífica La Puya. Last December, defenders of life and territory received some truly inspiring news: the US mining company Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA) lost its multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the Guatemalan state.

Our friends in Peace Brigades International UK (PBI-UK) have released a short film on their work with Human Rights Defenders, and Environmental Defenders. Think about what it takes to keep a forest standing. Not the satellite imagery or the international agreements - the actual, daily, human act of standing in front of a bulldozer, filing a legal challenge against a mining company, or organising an Indigenous community to assert its ancestral rights.

“People have confidence in journalism. With my work I have wanted to honor journalists who gave their lives for a free society.” An interview with José Rubén Zamora was carried out by Carlos F. Chamorro of Confidencial and was translated into English and posted in the Havana Times. Thanks also to Rights Action. In the interview he talks about, amongst other things, how he survived the solitude while in prison, about the cruelty of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (

Roman Gressier writes in El Faro English on the allegations of historical illegal adoptions and the alleged role of a high-ranking official in Guatemala, namely the current Attorney General, Consuelo Porras. It appears that a record of the position in which she signed off on them is absent from her re-election portfolio. Information recently submitted to a United Nations group of experts implicates Guatemala’s Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, in at least 80 “allegations of illegal adoptions” committed by the State between 1968 and 1996.

Consuelo Porras’s second term as Attorney General of Guatemala will end on May 17, 2026. This presents an opportunity for the next head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público — MP) to review institutional policies and practices that instrumentalize criminal law to evict indigenous communities from their ancestral lands for the benefit of companies and landowners who claim ownership of the lands.

Elections for the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Constitutional Court, and attorney general are progressing, with positive results in some areas and concerning results in others. The international community is closely monitoring these elections. The United States, the European Union, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations High Commissioners Office for Human Rights have openly expressed concern about some of the candidates.

A recent podcast on El Faro English, with Yuliana Ramazzini and Gabriel Labrador, presents among CA items, the news that U.N. experts have tied the internationally sanctioned Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras to an illegal adoption scheme. You can read the piece with links, including to the podcast, here, U.N. Experts Warn of Illegal Adoptions Tied to Guatemalan Attorney General.

One week after leaving prison, journalist José Rubén Zamora is not certain that his freedom is guaranteed. The legal persecution continues and is brutal. In this interview, he speaks about democracy and Guatemala, about those who have persecuted him, and about the Foundation that is maintaining the harassment against him. He also speaks of resistance. In an interview with Alex Maldonado…

NISGUA have provided an English translation to the statement from La Coordinación Genocidio Nunca Más for the National Day for the Dignification of the Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict. On February 25, National Day for the Dignification of the Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict, survivors, relatives of the victims, collectives, organizations, and communities continue to demand JUSTICE for the grave human rights violations committed against thousands of victims at the hands of the State’s repressive forces.

GHRC recently published an update on developments in Guatemala, provided by GHRC Fellow Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez. Some highlights include: Secondary elections are underway in Guatemala. What are these and why are they important? Secondary elections, also known as second-degree elections, are so named because, unlike first- degree elections, in which citizens directly participate to elect the President of the Republic and Congress, in these processes, elected authorities appoint other government officials, mainly within the justice sector.

Tensions are rising in Guatemala as key election processes get underway. President Bernardo Arévalo has instituted a state of siege to combat gang-related violence that experts say appears to be aimed at destabilizing his government. The months ahead may be turbulent for Guatemala. Monitoring the situation and being willing to respond is crucial.  A recent update from Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC)

A major victory against an exploitative corporate lawsuit in Guatemala. Jen Moore wrote, recently, on the website of the Institute for Policy Studies about the victory celebrated by the Resistencia Pacifica La Puya with the ruling by an arbitration panel at International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) against Nevada-based Kappes, Cassiday, and Associates (KCA) in its nearly half a billion-dollar arbitration claim against Guatemala.

Roman Gressier, Yuliana Ramazzini and Carlos Barrera write in El Faro English on the startling developments that have overtaken the Government of Bernardo Arévalo at the beginning of his third term. The events started off as a series of gang-related prison riots, followed by their quelling, escalated to the murder of nine police officers by the 18th Street gang.

The Guatemalan government reports dozens of arrests in two days under state of siege. Arévalo avoids naming the “political structures” he accused of colluding with 18th Street, but now singles out and...

Statement from the Peaceful Resistance La Puya to the Guatemalan and International Community in response to the decision of the International Arbitration Tribunal (CIADI) in KCA v. Guatemala The Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) has posted a statement from La Resistencia Pacifica La Puya regarding a decision of the International Arbitration Tribunal in favour of Guatemala. This is a positive result for Guatemala and La Puya but does not mean the…

The Winter 2025 edition of El Quetzal, from The Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC), has recently been published. In it, they explore the implications of a co-opted justice system and the necessity of change, sharing the views of the Indigenous Mayor of Nebaj, two defenders living in exile, and two defenders working for justice within Guatemala. Indigenous Mayor Feliciana Herrera explains how tightened borders in the US are affecting the Guatemalan Indigenous communities, Juan Francisco Sandoval reports on the case of exiled Constitutional Court Judge Gloria Porras, Judge Miguel Angel Galvez discusses transitional justice cases, and Juan Francisco Soto, director of UDEFEGUA, warns of the various ways the selection of a new attorney general next spring can be influenced by corrupt networks trying to hold onto their power.

El Faro English presented an English version of a piece by Edward Grattan relating to the tiral and sentencing of those found responsible for the deaths of the 41 young girls in the fire at the Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asunción. It took eight grueling years for Guatemala’s Supreme Court of Justice to place charges on those accused in the 2017 tragedy at the shelter home Hogar Seguro where 41 young girls were killed after being locked in a dorm room fire.

She walked barefoot, leaving footprints of human blood outside the Constitutional Court. She underwent surgery to reconstruct her hymen and become a virgin again. She had a doctor injected her in the mouth with anesthesia as she attempted to read the testimonies of Indigenous survivors of the Ixil genocide. Guatemalan artist Regina José Galindo attracted international recognition for her performances after winning a Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2005.

She walked barefoot, leaving footprints of human blood outside the Constitutional Court. She underwent surgery to reconstruct her hymen and become a virgin again. She had a doctor injected her in the...

She walked barefoot, leaving footprints of human blood outside the Constitutional Court. She underwent surgery to reconstruct her hymen and become a virgin again. She had a doctor injected her in the…

She walked barefoot, leaving footprints of human blood outside the Constitutional Court. She underwent surgery to reconstruct her hymen and become a virgin again. She had a doctor injected her in the ...

She walked barefoot, leaving footprints of human blood outside the Constitutional Court. She underwent surgery to reconstruct her hymen and become a virgin again. She had a doctor injected her in the…