Overview of Human Rights in Guatemala

Guatemala is a democratic republic. The country has the dubious distinction of being one of the countries in the Western Hemisphere with an atrocious human rights record to date.  

The police and security forces in Guatemala are involved in many unlawful activities.   Their active involvement in kidnappings, killings, torture and abuse of suspects and detainees are a just a few problems reported.

Prison conditions are regarded as both harsh and dangerous.

The judicial system is unable to ensure both due process and a full investigation into the charges brought forth against  suspects. Judges, prosecutors and witnesses themselves are not safe from intimidation and harassment.

Trafficking in persons, especially children, for the purpose of forced sexual labor is continuing to rise in frequency.

There is also widespread discrimination and violence against ethnic minority groups, especially the indigenous people.  Indeed, human rights violations against the indigenous population in Guatemala has a long and disturbing history, stretching into the realm of genocide. 

Of particular note were the brutal regimes of Lucas Garcia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and then the regime of Rios Montt in the 1980s in which repression reached its peak and the death toll averaged 1,000 per month.  While that level of institutionalized racism and abuse has abated to lesser levels more recently,  the ills prevail nonetheless today.

Note: In March 2006, a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned that Guatemala would have to resolve its "historically racist attitudes" towards indigenous people, or risk social and political instability.  Indeed, the report warned that the country could become ungovernable. The report also pointed to the profound socio-economic chasm between the indigenous population of the country, most of whom live in poverty,  and those of European or mixed backgrounds (known as "Ladinos"), who do not.  To this end, the UNDP reported noted that the Ladino population of Guatemala earned more than double the monthly income of indigenous people.  The UNDP also cited the gross lack of infrastructure in parts of the country predominantly inhabited by indigenous people, such as the lack of transportation.  

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

118th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.