Guatemala
Nearly half of Guatemala’s people identify as indigenous. The Maya (who themselves speak 21 distinct languages) are the largest single group, though the country is also home to Afro-descendant peoples, especially along the Caribbean coast. These often-marginalized communities suffer from high rates of poverty, chronic malnutrition and persistent struggles over land and natural resources. The urban poor endure high murder rates as street gangs wage bloody battles for control of extortion and other criminal rackets. USIP programming will focus on promoting a culture of lawfulness while helping civic leaders — especially young activists — overcome the country’s historic inequities and reduce polarization.
Featured Publications
Sometimes the Good Guys Win: Guatemala's Kleptocracy Fights Back
Last year was a pivotal moment for Guatemala’s democracy. Longshot candidate Bernardo Arévalo rode popular anti-corruption fervor into a shocking second place finish in the first-round presidential polls, ultimately winning the presidency in the runoff. Since Guatemala transitioned to a democracy in the mid-1980s, the country has been wracked by increasingly pervasive corruption, perpetrated and perpetuated by venal elites.
Sometimes the Good Guys Win: Guatemala’s Shocking 2023 Election
Guatemala’s 2023 elections were a turning point for the country. Despite a playing field tilted to favor the governing elite, voters elected Bernardo Arévalo, whose Semilla (“Seed”) Movement promised to break the country’s cycles of corruption, restoring democracy and the rule of law. Success was — and remains — far from inevitable. The kleptocracy pushed back hard, using their control of the public prosecutors’ office to open spurious investigations and pursue unsupported claims of electoral fraud.
Mary Speck on the Challenges Facing Guatemala’s New President
Despite legal challenges, Bernardo Arévalo has finally assumed Guatemala’s presidency. Attention now shifts to whether his anti-corruption platform can make a difference in a region beleaguered by instability, says USIP’s Mary Speck: “There’s a great deal of hope that Arévalo can show that democracy actually works.”