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) on justice and human rights contained information on the following:
Arévalo Institutes State of Siege:On January 18, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo called for a state of emergency in Guatemala following a series of police killings carried out by gang members. The specific state of emergency he has implemented, called a state of siege, implies the suspension of certain constitutional rights. Arévalo declared the state of siege the same day more than a dozen National Civil Police officers in Guatemala City were shot by gang members in a series of coordinated attacks. Nine police officers died from their wounds and eight others were injured.
Attacks on Human Rights Defenders:On December 14, Víctor Manuel Colindres, a land defender who opposed mining operations by Rio Niquel, was shot to death by unidentified men in a grocery store in Colindres, in the Sierra Santa Cruz. Colindres had actively participated in protests against the mine from January to June, 2025. In addition, Indigenous leaders continue to be criminalised by the state due to their opposition to the coup attempt following Arévalo’s victory in the Presidential elections.
Secondary Elections:Various important selection processes are now underway in Guatemala, including the election of judges for the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which will oversee the 2027 general elections, and the selection of judges for the Constitutional Court. Procedures will also soon begin for the selection of a new attorney general. These processes, known as “secondary elections,” are coinciding this year, for the first time in more than a decade, raising tension levels in Guatemala as corrupt networks seek to hold on to their privileges and impunity and advocates of transparency and human rights seek to renew and reform corrupt institutions.
Case Updates:On December 23, 2025, the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) dismissed a claim filed by US-based company Kappes, Cassiday, and Associates (KCA), ruling in favor of the Guatemalan government and the Peaceful Resistance La Puya. Regarding the Diario Militar, Judge Carol Berganza formally rejected the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s request to dismiss the case against retired colonel Edgar Hernández Méndez, the former commander of Military Zone Number 21, who is charged with rape and crimes against humanity. In addition, Claudia González has been freed from restrictions. On January 21, a court lifted all restrictive measures on Claudia González, a former representative of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). González is now permitted to travel freely, both nationally and internationally, while judicial proceedings continue.
More details on these and more can be found here, GHRC – Recent Developments in Justice and Human Rights.
Categories: Accompaniment, Corruption, Criminalisation, Criminalization, Environment, Evictions, Genocide, Guatemala, Human Rights, Impunity, Indigenous peoples, Justice, Land, Military, Mining, Presidential Elections, Resource Extraction, Solidarity in Action, Violence
Guatemala Solidarity Network 
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