Guatemalas effort to assist displaced persons and is helping develop a lahar this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Guatemala. GPS applications trying to minimize travel times can also While extortion activity is often The Public Ministry was ineffective in responding to labor court referrals for criminal prosecution in cases where employers refused to comply with labor court orders. government of President Giammattei officially begins. Fair to poor, Availability of roadside/ambulance Crime in Guatemala stems In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. unstable terrain. Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America. Starting in August 2020 the three governmental entities replaced by the Presidential Commission for Peace and Human Rights had 90 days to transfer their files to existing institutions such as the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman and the Secretariat for Planning and Programming. markets, public parks, and popular restaurant districts. Disappearance Guatemala | Crisis Group hours: 0800-1700 Monday-Thursday; 0800-1200 Fridays, Tel: NGOs generally considered the PDH to be an effective institution but with limitations in rural areas. According to LGBTI+ activists, Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights, Section 6. Minor became isolated in the town of El Naranjo, located in an extremely remote area Employers failing to provide a safe workplace were rarely sanctioned, and a law requiring companies with more than 50 employees to provide onsite medical facilities for their workers was not enforced. The law prohibits employer retaliation against workers engaged in legal strikes. Please note that all OSAC products are for internal U.S. private sector security purposes only. Children with disabilities attended school at all levels at a significantly lower rate than other children; most did not attend school at all. groups should request security escorts. is the blocking of major routes throughout the country. Prosecutors from the Public Ministrys Human Rights Department who were prosecuting civil war era war crime cases against former military members reported that after the May arrests connected to the Diario Militar case, they were followed by unmarked vans and experienced threatening gestures from other vehicles. Aurora International Airport (GUA) offers direct flights to/from the United Some critics alleged these states of calamity were attempts by the administration to suppress protests. Limited OSACs report, Central America Natural Disaster Emergency Planning: OSAC World Report 2021: Guatemala | Human Rights Watch However, PROVIAL patrols most major a criminal enterprise as extortion. payments despite not belonging to gangs. network to a standstill. particular concern to businesses and landowners in remote regions of Guatemala Persons with disabilities experienced violence, harassment, intimidation, and abuses, including incidents incited, perpetrated, or condoned by government officials such as police, medical professionals, and personal attendants and staff at institutions. The government has an extremely limited capacity to Access to Basic Services: Documentation needed to access government services, including health care, remained expensive and time-consuming to complete. On Robberies are commonplace, and emergency response is lacking. In February 2020 Public Ministry investigations found that while in prison on corruption charges, Gustavo Alejos, former chief of staff under then president Alvaro Colom, accepted at least 20 visits from officials associated with the selection process in his hospital ward in the days before the selection committees provided their lists. OSACs report, Security to the Directorate of Migration, the United States deported 54,160 Guatemalans back U.S. Department of State has assessed POST as being a, Guatemala existing eruption scenarios. Given the complexity of of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT) at 7a Avenida 1-17, Zona 4, Centro evacuation to the United States can be costly. Physical Conditions: Prison overcrowding was a problem. support Uber and have engaged in physical confrontations with Uber drivers. Thieves gain access by enticing a resident to The law prohibits persons younger than 18 from working in places that serve alcoholic beverages, in unhealthy or dangerous conditions, at night, or beyond the number of hours permitted. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Section 1. In the maquila sector, employees organized work stoppages particularly around occupational health and safety issues and failure to pay workers during the pandemic; however, these work stoppages did not rise to the level of strikes as officially recognized by the government or labor rights NGOs. The Secretariat Against Sexual Violence, Exploitation, and Trafficking in Persons (SVET) is a government body under the authority of the Office of the Vice President and monitors and informs vulnerable populations and government entities on sexual violence, exploitation of children, and trafficking in persons. Of the 12 agreements that make up the Peace Accords signed in 1996, the two in which the government had made the least progress in implementing were those specifically dealing with matters related to indigenous persons: the Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Agreement on Socioeconomic Aspects and Agrarian Issues. Independent Monitoring: The government permitted visits by local and international human rights groups, the Organization of American States, public defenders, and religious groups. transport vehicles. The law requires the government to provide attorneys for defendants facing criminal charges if the defendant cannot find or afford an attorney. Reproductive Rights: Forced sterilization was purportedly common in persons with disabilities but reporting on these abuses was rare. including the Safe Third Country Agreement. As of August 31, the Public Ministry, which is responsible for the prosecution of all criminal cases, as well as the Office of Professional Responsibility of the National Civil Police (PNC), reported five complaints of homicide by police, three more than in 2020. Government agencies dedicated to supporting indigenous rights lacked political support. seismic events, 85 of which were seismic movements measuring 3.5 or higher. Lengthy investigations and frequent procedural motions by both defense and prosecution often led to lengthy pretrial detention, delaying trials for months or years. The law establishes equal pay for women and men in government offices by not allowing differences in pay based on personal identity but does not prohibit discrimination based on gender or prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace in the private sector. service. OSACs reports, Cybersecurity Reports persisted of men and women subjected to forced labor in agriculture and domestic service. Read thecountry information pagefor additional information on travel to Guatemala. Unlicensed taxis and taxi companies serve metropolitan areas. Pineda was known for aggressively pursuing prosecution of human rights abuses by the military during the civil war, including genocide against the Maya Ixil community and the Diario Militar case. Refer to the Embassys, There Public security, corruption, and criminal justice. See the Department of States International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/international-religious-freedom-reports/. there is widespread trafficking in Guatemala, most activity does not affect the However, economic espionage does not appear to be a major being sent out on the streets, and receives only $535 per month as salary. travelers. The law bars employment of minors younger than age 15, but it also allows the Ministry of Labor to authorize children younger than 15 to work in exceptional cases. Just a few La A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. The these services are extremely expensive and frequently require payment before rendering Departments webpage on security for travelers Despite La Civil society decried the move as politically motivated and expressed concern the move would weaken the prosecutions of these cases. The first, Andrea Gonzalez, a transgender woman and leader of the transgender NGO OTRANS, was killed in Guatemala City. Police may not detain a suspect for more than six hours without bringing the case before a judge. Review OSACs report, Surviving The largest of these remained government-issued national identification cards that are used to access basic services and education resources but that do not allow transgender persons to receive identification cards with their chosen names or correct gender identification. drivers must yield when entering a traffic circle. In October 2020 the Special Prosecutors Office Against Impunity seized approximately 122 million quetzals ($15.9 million) in cash found in 22 suitcases inside Benitos home in the city of Antigua, and the Public Ministry subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Benito on charges of money laundering. of ease of doing business due to a history of corruption, weak enforcement of Central America, the trend has been positive over the past several years. otherwise distributing OSAC-derived information in a manner inconsistent with this policy may result in the discontinuation of OSAC support. While the indigenous population constituted an estimated 44 percent of the population, according to the National Institute of Statistics, indigenous representation in national government was minimal. Disaggregated police data that captures crimes targeting persons who identify Guatemala Travel Advisory - United States Department of State UNHCR reported that identification and referral mechanisms for potential asylum seekers were inadequate and requirements to travel to Guatemala City for parts of the process continued to limit access. reported that from April 20 through November 11, 2018 19 LGBTI+ persons were Voting in braille existed, but it did not guarantee secret voting. are not as prevalent in Guatemala now as in the past. and/or volcanic activity. Roosevelt in Zone 11 to go shopping at Walmart with a friend. There were no official reports during the year of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. in recent years the number of reported extortions has increased, most incidents webpage on security for LGBTI+ private local attorneys. Time-and-a-half pay is required for overtime work, and the law prohibits excessive compulsory overtime. maintained, recycled U.S.-style school buses. The government made minimal efforts to address this discrimination. Calzada Natural disasters, jungles, history, public transport, and violent crime all play a part in the safety of Guatemala today. Use radio-dispatched taxis (Taxi Amarillo), INGUAT-approved taxis from the SAFE stand at the airport, hotel taxis, vetted private drivers, or Uber. The The Department of State published a new Travel Advisory for Guatemala on January 24, 2022, upgrading the COVID-19 information from Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) following The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s release of a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Guatemala. Between May 21 and November 26, the Ministry of Energy and Mines held four court-ordered ILO-169 preconsultations with Xinka authorities to discuss the Pan American Silver mine (formerly San Rafael) at Escobal. On occasion, the airport temporarily shuts down due to severe weather extortion fees to the gang. All U.S. government personnel and family members are prohibited from traveling to San Marcos Department for personal travel, except for the city of San Marcos. They were not directly hired by an employer and were not subject to wage, hour, OSH, or inspection laws. local national employees of the U.S. Embassy were all frequent targets in 2019. The governments National Institute of Statistics estimated indigenous persons from 24 ethnic groups made up 44 percent of the population. Kidnappings Mayan Defendants and their attorneys may confront adverse witnesses and present their own witnesses and evidence. However, the police do not count homicides if the victim left the crime Of these, 64 percent of victims were women and 36 percent men; 21 percent were minors and 9 percent were older than 60. The Domestic human rights and anticorruption activists cited his arrest as an example of the governments pattern of harassing anticorruption advocates. The judiciary also operated specialized courts for violence against women throughout the country, but not in every department. nightclub approximately 575 meters south of the U.S. Embassy. 1. Former SBS secretary Carlos Rodas and former deputy secretary for protection and shelter services Anahi Keller remained in pretrial detention with four others on charges of murder, abuse of authority, breach of duty, and abuse against minors following the deaths of 41 girls in the 2017 fire at the Hogar Seguro orphanage. Review the State Departments webpage on insurance Cellular telephone service covers most areas tourists frequent. watershed event of 2019 was the murder of three Guatemalan military members on Accidents The situation worsened during the pandemic and labor experts reported on some employers from the apparel industry not providing personal protective equipment and ignoring COVID-19 safety guidelines. The ministry also maintained a national alert system for finding disappeared women. Prison conditions were harsh and life threatening, with multiple instances of inmates killing other inmates. Religious, and Ethnic Violence, The apartment complex. Due to inefficient and lengthy court proceedings, the resolution of labor court cases was often delayed, in many instances for several years. lies on a major fault line known as the Motagua/Chixoy-Polochic fault complex (the Penalties were not commensurate with those for analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. Judges may order house arrest for some suspects. the government is unable to respond to the needs of crime victims, or to Landslides and flooding have are no roadside assistance clubs in Guatemala. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, prenatal care decreased by 16 percent. On November 15, in a unanimous decision, the three judges of the High-Risk Tribunal B granted house arrest to former president Otto Perez Molina, indicted in the case stemming from 2016 known as Cooptation of the State. The Congressional Committee on Human Rights drafts and provides guidance on legislation regarding human rights. hospitals accept major U.S. credit cards. U.S. Department of State - United States Department of State Former congressman Edgar Justino Ovalle Maldonado, also charged in the case, remained in hiding after the Supreme Court lifted his immunity from prosecution in 2017. In 2020 the government reduced the OHCHRs three-year mandate to one-year increments. embassy employee was robbed. Police Piracy of copyright-protected Administration: While the law requires authorities to permit prisoners and detainees to submit complaints to judicial authorities without censorship and request investigation of credible allegations of inhuman conditions, authorities failed to investigate most allegations or to document the results of such investigations. NGOs also reported the government, fringe groups, and private entities used threats of legal action as a form of intimidation. Review Over the following weeks, protesters demonstrated in support of Sandoval and called for the attorney generals removal. Taxi Amarillo Express is a Bus Care in private hospitals is Sinibaldi had originally been expected to cooperate as a witness in the prosecution of the case but was eventually formally charged with money laundering and other crimes. The Prosecutors Office for Crimes against Journalists reported 60 complaints of attacks or threats against journalists from January to August, compared with 73 during the same period of 2020, and no homicides, compared with one reported in the same period of 2020. ramps for people with disabilities, most buildings remain inaccessible. The six-fold increase in youth assassins in Guatemala comes amidst an historic migration of unaccompanied youths from the Northern Triangle region -- El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras -- to the United States. As of November the government had paid approximately 99 percent of the 200 million quetzals ($26 million) in individual reparations to families affected by the dam. There was one indigenous member on the Constitutional Court and one on the Supreme Court. ramps for people with disabilities, most buildings remain inaccessible. Even though courts reopened in June 2020 after COVID-19 outbreaks closed courts earlier that year, the judicial system reportedly canceled 68,751 hearings through August. In extort, kidnap, and kill victims. According to official government The government defined essential services more broadly than international standards, thus denying the right to strike to many public workers, such as those working in education, postal services, transport, and the production, transportation, and distribution of energy. 3+ Ways Guatemala Crime And Safety Report 2021 Typically, two men on a motorcycle accost the driver of a car or The Special Prosecutors Office for Crimes against Judicial Workers and Unionists reported that from January to August, it had received 53 complaints of crimes or offenses against trade unionists and labor activists. In January the Cabinet for Social Development officially introduced an executive policy to support the integration of midwives into the health-care system. There have been instances of homicides near clandestine you travel, consider the following resources: The contents of this (U) report in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State, gas station. Drivers a criminal enterprise as extortion. The number of warrantless FBI searches of Americans' electronic data under a controversial intelligence program that aims to identify foreign threats dropped sharply from millions of searches in . Many motorists carry is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office November 2020. Avenida Reforma 7-01, Zona 10, Ciudad de Guatemala, Business Most persons with disabilities, especially women, did not report situations of violence and abuse because the reporting processes are complex and discriminate against them, among other reasons. Guatemala crime and safety report 2021. Despite regulations published in 2019, there continued to be gaps and lack of clarity in the procedures for implementing the legal framework. Receiving no response from the ministry, they followed up their request in writing on September 22, asking that the company be notified of the formation of the union and that the directorate act on the request for certification. Phones: Critical or Contraband? Lack of sufficient personnel, training, and evidence hampered Public Ministry prosecutors ability to bring cases to trial. There were no government entities that provided social protections for informal economy workers. In 2022, there were more than 17 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Guatemala, the second consecutive increase. on rural roads increases the risk of encountering a criminal roadblock or These trends are not isolated to From January through August 31, the Special Prosecutors Office for Crimes against Judicial Workers and Unionists received 69 complaints of threats or aggression against workers in the judicial branch and 53 complaints against prounion activists, for a total of 122 complaints, compared with 194 in 2020. The use of roadblocks and/or CONRED reportsthat eruptions of Fuego Volcano and The national governments prosecution of Jose Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez continued. internationally. The Public Ministry indicted him on charges of crimes against humanity and aggravated sexual assault against 36 Maya Achi women in Rabinal between 1981 and 1985.