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1 [1] (March 13, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/gutaanov0001 and id is 1 raw text is: »Mg Congressional Research Service Inforrning the legislative debate since 1914 Updated March 13, 2025 Guatemala: An Overview Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America, has strived to consolidate its democracy since the 1990s. It has faced many political and social challenges, as well as human rights abuses and widespread impunity. Traditionally, the United States and Guatemala have had close relations, with friction at times over certain issues, such as corruption and migration. The 119th Congress may seek to assess the U.S.- Guatemala relationship on the aforementioned issues, the promotion of democracy, and efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking. Guatemala at a Glance Area: 42,000 square miles, about the size of Tennessee Population: 18.1 million (2024, IMF est.) Ethnic Composition: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish; Ladino in local Spanish) 62.8°o, Maya 34.9°, Xinka (Indigenous, non-Maya) 2.1°o, Garifuna 0.1°o, foreign 0.1°o (2018 est., INE) Gross Domestic Product (GDP)/Per Capita GDP: $1 12.4 billion/$6,300 (2024, current prices, IMF) Key Import Partners: United States (29.1°o), China (19.7o), Mexico (10.2°o), El Salvador (3.32°o) (2024, TDM) Key Export Partners: United States (31.9°o), El Salvador (1 3.4°o), Honduras (I 1.5°o), Nicaragua (7.27°) (2023, TDM) Sources: International Monetary Fund (IMF); National Statistics Institute of Guatemala (INE); Trade Data Monitor (TDM). Political Situation Guatemala has a long history of internal conflict and violence, including a 36-year civil war (1960-1996). For most of that period, the Guatemalan military held power and repressed citizens' human rights. An estimated 200,000 people were killed or disappeared during the civil conflict; 83% of the victims were Indigenous. In 1986, Guatemala established a civilian democratic government, but military repression continued. In 1996, then-President Alvaro Arzdi (1996-2000) and Guatemala's main insurgent group, the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unit (URNG), signed United Nations-mediated peace accords to end the conflict. Nearly 30 years later, some of the goals put forth in the accords, such as eradicating extreme poverty, integrating Indigenous Guatemalans, and bolstering institutions, remain unfulfilled. Successive governments have struggled to strengthen the Guatemalan justice system to punish perpetrators of grave human rights abuses and massive corruption. Indigenous Guatemalans continue to face poverty and social exclusion. Guatemala's democratic institutions remain fragile, largely due to high levels of state capture by elites. Current President Bernardo Ardvalo, from the center-left Movimiento Semilla party, won Guatemala's 2023 presidential elections-capturing 58% of the vote- following a tumultuous election period marred by alleged irregularities and the disqualification of several leading candidates. Since his inauguration in January 2024, Ardvalo has had trouble advancing his agenda, including anti- corruption efforts. Ardvalo's Semilla party has 23 of 160 seats in Guatemala's congress; in November 2023, prosecutors suspended the party's status and declared its lawmakers as independents. In January 2025, Ardvalo's approval rating stood at 39%, a decrease from 54% reported in May 2024. Ardvalo also has had to contend with repeated legal challenges from the Office of Attorney General Marfa Consuelo Porras. Officials in that office have engaged in legal maneuvers against Ardvalo since the election period and throughout his term, including seeking to lift Ardvalo's immunity from prosecution and ordering arrests of party members, among other actions. Since 2021, the United States has designated Porras and other top Guatemalan prosecutors for allegedly obstructing high-profile corruption investigations against some government officials. At least 45 prosecutors and judges, including many who worked with the U.S.-backed International Commission Against Corruption in Guatemala (CICIG; 2007-2019), have fled Guatemala since 2018. Others have been imprisoned. Although constitutionally the President can remove the Attorney General for a duly justified cause, a law (the Ley Orginica del Ministerio Pdblico) requires due process for the removal of the Attorney General. In accordance with that law, Ardvalo has filed criminal complaints against Porras for abuse of authority and has proposed legal reforms to remove the attorney general prior to the end of her term in 2026. Economic and Social Conditions Guatemala has the largest economy in Central America, with an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) of $112.4 billion in 2024, according to the International Monetary Fund. Despite average real GDP growth of 3.5% per year over the past decade, more than 55% of the population live in poverty. Roughly 79% of Indigenous Guatemalans live in poverty, many of whom reside in the Western highlands, a high migrant-sending region of the country. Guatemala's tax-to-GDP ratio, which at 14.4% was the fourth lowest in Latin America in 2022-severely limits the funds available for public services and investments. Guatemala is also home to one of the youngest populations in Latin America, with more than 60% of citizens under 29 rsreports.congress.gc

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