Jeff Abbott writes a column in The Progressive, The Other Americans, and this is from his latest piece. The Guatemalan government, helmed by President Alejandro Giammattei, continues to impede the country’s institutions meant to combat official corruption. While these attempts… Read More ›
Corruption
Biden Faces a Trade-Off: Stop Corruption, or Migration?
President Biden promised to attack corruption in Central America head on, but that goal has taken a back seat to cooperating on stopping migrants from the region. Natalie Kitroeff writes in the New York Times about the challenges facing anti-corruption… Read More ›
Accompaniment updates from PBI Guatemala
PBI Canada recently posted a couple of pieces from PBI Guatemala highlighting the vital accompaniment work that they do. PBI Guatemala accompanied the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (el Comité Campesino del Altiplano – CCDA) at a Mayan ceremony for… Read More ›
Assault on Guatemala’s Justice System Intensifies With Expulsion of Anti-Corruption Prosecutor
Julia Aikman Cifuentes and Adriana Beltrán write, in WOLA, about the recent sacking of Juan Francisco Sandoval, the wave of protests in response, and the criminalisation of members of the judiciary. They also talk of the massive corruption of the… Read More ›
#ParoPlurinacional: National Strike in Guatemala
Andrea Ixchíu Hernández, a Maya K’iche’ woman, journalist, land protector, and human rights activist, recently spoke to Gio B’atz’, on the Red Nation podcast, about the demands of Indigenous communities such as calls for a plurinational government, among other topics…. Read More ›
A Blend of Family and Politics in Guatemala’s Cocaine Trade
Alex Papadovassilakis writes in InSight Crime about the nexus of family, politics and criminal activity that occurs in some of Guatemala’s more isolated regions. This, against a backdrop of the criminalisation of human rights defenders and the facilitation of top-level… Read More ›
Guatemala is key to Biden’s migrant policy. Its corruption is worsening.
Sabrina Rodríguez and Eugene Daniels write in Politico about the challenges facing U.S. policy on anti-corruption in Guatemala, while also prioritising migration from Central America more broadly. When Vice President Kamala Harris visited Guatemala in June, she delivered a clear… Read More ›
Guatemala fires its top corruption prosecutor for being too effective
“That President Giammattei would confront the United States to protect major corruption targets says it all.” Stephen McFarland writes in Plaza Pública on the troubling direction facing Guatemala. The wilful moves of the governing elites to repudiate U.S. government’s support… Read More ›
Is this Guatemala’s Plurinational Moment?
Tim May writes in New Socialist about the recent demonstrations in Guatemala, including the recent Paro nacional and places the moment within a period of increasing grass-roots mobilisation. Indigenous authorities are increasingly finding their voice within national politics but still… Read More ›
Despite Protests, Guatemala’s President May Be Stronger than Ever
Brendan O’Boyle writes in Americas Quarterly on how President Giammattei is, so far, able to hold off calls for resignation despite his attacks on the independence of the judiciary and his government’s catastrophic and grossly negligent response to the pandemic…. Read More ›
Guatemala Solidarity Network 