In a rural hamlet in Chimaltenango, the remains of dozens of victims of the Guatemalan armed conflict piled up in a dingy storage room for decades. Now, their families have begun a burial that the government had promised but never… Read More ›
El Faro English
Guatemala’s Defense Chief Thinks He Can Clean Up the Army — and Keep Trump Happy
Yuliana Ramazzini has an interesting interview in El Faro English with the Guatemalan Defense Minister, Henry Sáenz. He talks about the roll of the Guatemala defense forces today, rooting out corruption within state security forces, how he views the relationship… Read More ›
After the Elections, the Debate Guatemala Keeps Putting Off
Juan Francisco Sandoval, the former head of Guatemala’s Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI). writes in El Faro English about the need for Guatemala to discuss and tackle the systemic issues at the heart of the judicial system. There is… Read More ›
New Guatemalan AG Starts Cleaning House After Years of Corruption and Lawfare
A new attorney general took office in Guatemala amid calls to restore confidence after his predecessor fueled the ranks of exiles and prisoners of conscience. This removes what President Arévalo had long called an obstacle: an adversary as top prosecutor…. Read More ›
Guatemalan Gangs Step Into Politics and Drug Trafficking
Guatemala’s two major gangs appear to be evolving in different directions: The notorious 18th Street has waded into politics; the government suggests it is being politicized to stoke chaos. Meanwhile, in a series of strategic moves, MS-13 has wrested the… Read More ›
In Guatemala’s Western Highlands, There’s Life After Deportation
Carlos Barrera presents a piece of photo-reportage on El Faro English highlighting challenges of emigrating to the US from Quetzaltenango (Xela) and subsequent deportation and re-integrating back into Guatemala, sometimes after many years of being away. The piece highlights the… Read More ›
Consuelo Porras Signed Irregular Adoptions of Children from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras
Roman Gressier writes in El Faro English on the allegations of historical illegal adoptions and the alleged role of a high-ranking official in Guatemala, namely the current Attorney General, Consuelo Porras. It appears that a record of the position in… Read More ›
U.N. Experts Warn of Illegal Adoptions Tied to Guatemalan Attorney General
A recent podcast on El Faro English, with Yuliana Ramazzini and Gabriel Labrador, presents among CA items, the news that U.N. experts have tied the internationally sanctioned Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras to an illegal adoption scheme. You can read… Read More ›
Arévalo Begins Third Year under State of Siege amid Clashes with 18th Street
Roman Gressier, Yuliana Ramazzini and Carlos Barrera write in El Faro English on the startling developments that have overtaken the Government of Bernardo Arévalo at the beginning of his third term. The events started off as a series of gang-related… Read More ›
Nine Minutes in the Fire, Eight Years For the First Light
El Faro English presented an English version of a piece by Edward Grattan relating to the tiral and sentencing of those found responsible for the deaths of the 41 young girls in the fire at the Hogar Seguro Virgen de… Read More ›