Guatemalan Democracy Under Attack

Over the past year, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has tried to stymie the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), a UN-backed panel created by an innovative agreement between the State and the UN's Secretary General to help local prosecutors in their task of reducing impunity.

Perhaps emboldened by his peers in Central America, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua and Juan Orlando Hernandez in Honduras, Morales is less fearful of possible international consequences of his authoritarian impulses. And at present, he is willing to throw the entire country into a constitutional crisis. 

Guatemalan Government Locks Horns with Justice Fighters

In recent days, Morales announced he would not renew CICIG's mandate after 2019. This was a legal, albeit questioned, decision. But only four days later he also gave orders not to allow CICIG's boss, Ivan Velasquez, to re-enter the country.  

A constitutional expert spoke to Americas Quarterly arguing the move was "completely unconstitutional". The author's piece, Brendan O'Boyle, also delves into the Guatemalan legislature to approve a set of reforms that would change the procedure for removing the immunity of the country's highest authorities. 

This is a direct threat to democracy. As O'Boyle notes, the "Constitutional Court in Guatemala has historically acted as a vital check on a strong executive branch. Its five justices are appointed separately, allowing competition that gives the court some independence". 

While the crisis is slowly unfolding, citizens, activists, and opposition leaders are worried that it may either result in a weakened court – and thus embolden the executive –, or in a direct show of force. 

The President has unleashed considerable military presence on the streets in recent days, and sought to criminalize LGBTIQ communities and women who defend abortion rights. This distraction may be working in his favor.