• Human Rights in Guatemala

    President Otto Pérez Molina, a former military officer who was elected in 2011, has increasingly used the Guatemalan military in public security operations, despite the serious human rights violations it committed during the country’s civil war. While impunity remains the norm in Guatemala, the prosecutor’s office has made progress in several prominent human rights cases, including bringing charges against the former head of state, retired General Efraín Ríos Montt, for atrocities committed in the early 1980s, and against eight members of the army for allegedly killing protesters in October 2012.

  • Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt (C) attends the first session of his trial in the Supreme Court of Justice in Guatemala City on March 19, 2013.
    © 2013 Reuters
    Guatemala: Rios Montt Convicted of Genocide
    The guilty verdict against Efraín Ríos Montt, former leader of Guatemala, for genocide and crimes against humanity is an unprecedented step toward establishing accountability for atrocities during the country’s brutal civil war, Human Rights Watch said today.
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Guatemala

  • Americas: Decriminalize Personal Use of Drugs
    Jun 4, 2013
    National drug control policies that impose criminal penalties for personal drug use undermine basic human rights. To deter harmful drug use, governments should rely instead on non-penal regulatory and public health policies. The 43rd General Assembly of the Organization of American States, taking place in Antigua, Guatemala from June 4 to 6, 2013, will focus on drug control policy in the Americas.
  • Guatemala: Rios Montt Convicted of Genocide
    May 10, 2013
    The guilty verdict against Efraín Ríos Montt, former leader of Guatemala, for genocide and crimes against humanity is an unprecedented step toward establishing accountability for atrocities during the country’s brutal civil war, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Guatemala: Genocide Trial Suspension
    Apr 19, 2013
    The abrupt suspension of the genocide trial of former de facto head of Guatemala, Efraín Ríos Montt, raises serious concerns about victims’ access to justice, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Is justice gaining a foothold?
    Apr 8, 2013
    Former Guatemalan strongman Efraín Ríos Montt went on trial in Guatemala City late last month on charges of genocide relating to the massacres of indigenous Mayan people during his rule.
  • Guatemala Genocide Trial a Landmark
    Mar 19, 2013
    The trial of former de facto head of Guatemala, Efraín Ríos Montt, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, is a landmark achievement in the fight for justice in Guatemala.
  • Guatemala: Ríos Montt Trial a Milestone for Justice
    Jan 28, 2013

    A Guatemalan judge’s decision to try the former de facto head of state, Efraín Ríos Montt, for genocide and crimes against humanity is a major step forward for accountability in Guatemala, Human Rights Watch said today.

  • Guatemala: Swift Charges Against Soldiers for Killing Protesters
    Oct 11, 2012
    The prompt and comprehensive investigation by the prosecutor’s office into killings at a recent protest in Totonicapán is an important step toward accountability in Guatemala, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Some Thoughts for Labor Day
    Sep 8, 2009
    Labor Day? Let's be real. The last thing on our minds this weekend is labor rights. Whether we're fortunate enough to have a job or worrying about how to get one in today's economy, we'll focus more on this summer's last hurrah than on the Tuesday- morning-after travails.
  • Universal Periodic Review of Guatemala
    May 4, 2008
    The country continues to face high levels of violence associated with both electoral politics and common crime. Guatemala’s weak and corrupt law enforcement institutions have proven incapable of containing the powerful organized crime groups that, among other things, are believed responsible for continuing attacks on human rights defenders.
  • Guatemala Legislature Drops Restrictive Family Bill
    Nov 1, 2007
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