Editing History of Guatemala (section)

==== 1996 Peace Accords to Present ====
The human rights situation remained challenging during Arzú's tenure, although initial steps were taken to reduce the military's influence in national affairs. The most notable human rights case of this period was the brutal slaying of Bishop [[Juan José Gerardi]] on 24 April 1998, two days after he publicly presented a major Catholic Church-sponsored human rights report known as ''[[Guatemala: Nunca Más]]'', summarising testimony about human rights abuses during the Civil War. It was prepared by the Recovery of Historical Memory project, known by the acronym [[REMHI]].<ref name="goldmanreview">{{citation |title=Review of ''The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed Bishop Gerardi?'', by Francisco Goldman |last=Stanford |first=Peter |date=16 March 2008 |newspaper=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-art-of-political-murder-who-killed-bishop-gerardi-by-francisco-goldman-795533.html |access-date=10 April 2008 |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707172808/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-art-of-political-murder-who-killed-bishop-gerardi-by-francisco-goldman-795533.html |archive-date=7 July 2009 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In 2001, three Army officers were convicted in civil court and sentenced to lengthy prison terms for his murder.<ref name="goldmanreview"/>

Guatemala held presidential, legislative, and municipal elections on 7 November 1999, followed by a runoff presidential election on 26 December. [[Alfonso Portillo]] faced criticism during the campaign for his ties to the FRG's chairman, former president [[Ríos Montt]], who was accused of committing some of the worst human rights violations during his rule.

In the first round, the [[Guatemalan Republican Front]] (FRG) won 63 of 113 legislative seats, while the [[National Advancement Party]] (PAN) secured 37. The New Nation Alliance (ANN) won nine seats, and three minority parties won the remaining four. In the runoff on 26 December, [[Alfonso Portillo]] (FRG) won 68% of the vote, compared to 32% for [[Óscar Berger]] (PAN). Portillo carried all 22 departments and Guatemala City, which was considered PAN's stronghold.

Portillo's decisive electoral victory gave him a strong mandate to implement his reform program. He pledged to maintain strong ties with the United States, enhance Guatemala's cooperation with Mexico, and participate in the integration process in Central America and the Western Hemisphere. Domestically, he promised to support continued economic liberalisation, increase investment in human capital and infrastructure, establish an independent central bank, and boost revenue through stricter tax enforcement rather than increasing taxation.

Portillo also committed to continuing the peace process, appointing a civilian defense minister, reforming the armed forces, replacing the military presidential security service with a civilian one, and strengthening the protection of [[human rights]]. He appointed a diverse cabinet, including [[indigenous peoples|indigenous]] members and individuals independent of the FRG ruling party.

Progress in implementing Portillo's reform agenda during his first year in office was slow. Consequently, public support for the government fell to near-record lows by early 2001. While the administration made some progress in taking state responsibility for past human rights cases and supporting human rights in international forums, it struggled with prosecuting past human rights cases and achieving military reforms or a fiscal pact to finance peace implementation programs. Additionally, it sought legislation to increase political participation among residents. The prosecution of suspects in Bishop Gerardi's murder set a precedent in 2001, marking the first time military officers in Guatemala were tried in civil courts.<ref name="goldmanreview"/>

Confronted with a high crime rate, public corruption, and frequent harassment and intimidation of human rights activists, judicial workers, journalists, and witnesses in human rights trials, the government began serious attempts in 2001 to open a national dialogue to address the country's substantial challenges.

In July 2003, the [[Jueves Negro]] demonstrations rocked the capital, leading to the closure of the US embassy and the UN mission. Supporters of Ríos Montt called for his return to power and demanded that the courts lift a ban on former coup leaders participating in government. They wanted Montt to run as a presidential candidate in the 2003 elections, and the FRG supported the demonstrators.

On 9 November 2003, [[Óscar Berger]], a former mayor of Guatemala City, won the presidential election with 39% of the vote. Failing to achieve a majority, he proceeded to a runoff election on 28 December, which he also won. He defeated center-left candidate [[Álvaro Colom]], while Montt, allowed to run, trailed in a distant third with 11% of the vote.

In early October 2005, Guatemala was devastated by [[Hurricane Stan]]. Although a relatively weak storm, it triggered severe flooding, resulting in at least 1,500 deaths and thousands of people left homeless.

Determined to address crime and internal police corruption, Óscar Berger reached an agreement with the [[United Nations]] in December 2006 to support judicial enforcement. They established the [[International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala]] (CICIG), an independent institution designed to assist the Office of the Prosecutor of Guatemala, the National Police Force, and other investigative bodies. CICIG's goal was to prosecute cells linked to organised crime and drug trafficking. It has the authority to conduct its own inquiries and refer significant cases to the national judiciary, aiming to "reinforce the national criminal justice system and support its reforms."<ref name="cicig">[http://www.trial-ch.org/guatemala-en/accountability.html "Guatemala: The Need for Accountability"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904140354/http://www.trial-ch.org/guatemala-en/accountability.html |date=4 September 2012 }}, Trial, 2010, accessed 13 June 2013.</ref>

{{as of|2010}}, CICIG has led inquiries into approximately 20 cases and is acting as Deputy Prosecutor in eight others. CICIG conducted investigations that led to an arrest warrant for [[Erwin Sperisen]], former Head of the National Civilian Police (Policía Nacional Civil – PNC) from 2004 to 2007. With dual Swiss-Guatemalan citizenship, Sperisen fled to Switzerland to avoid prosecution in Guatemala for numerous extrajudicial killings and police corruption. Additionally, 17 other individuals, including several former high-ranking political figures from Guatemala, are covered by arrest warrants related to these crimes.<ref name="cicig"/>

===== Otto Pérez Molina government and "La Línea" case =====
{{Main|Otto Pérez Molina}}
Retired General [[Otto Pérez Molina]] was elected president alongside Roxana Baldetti, Guatemala's first female vice president, and they began their term on 14 January 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-16563638|title = New Guatemala President Otto Perez Molina takes office|work = BBC News|date = 15 January 2012}}</ref> However, on 16 April 2015, the UN anti-corruption agency CICIG issued a report implicating several high-profile politicians, including Vice President Baldetti's private secretary, Juan Carlos Monzón, and the director of the Guatemalan Internal Revenue Service.<ref name=veliz>{{cite news|last=Véliz|first=Rodrigo|title=El Caso SAT: el legado de la inteligencia militar|url=http://cmiguate.org/el-caso-sat-el-legado-de-la-inteligencia-militar/|date=17 April 2015|location=Guatemala|newspaper=Centro de Medios Independientes de Guatemala|access-date=22 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422144047/http://cmiguate.org/el-caso-sat-el-legado-de-la-inteligencia-militar/|archive-date=22 April 2015|language=es}}</ref> The revelations generated public outrage reminiscent of the period during General [[Kjell Eugenio Laugerud Garcia]]'s presidency. The CICIG, working with the Guatemalan attorney general, exposed the "La Línea" scam, which involved officials accepting bribes from importers in exchange for reducing tariffs.<ref name=veliz/> This practice was rooted in a long tradition of customs corruption in the country, dating back to successive military governments that sought to fund counterinsurgency operations during Guatemala's 36-year [[Guatemala Civil War|civil war]].<ref name=linea10junio>{{cite news|title=Caso SAT: Así operaba La Línea según el informe de la CICIG|url=http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20150610/pais/13566/Caso-SAT-Así-operaba-La-Línea-según-el-informe-de-la-CICIG.htm|newspaper=[[El Periódico (Guatemala)|ElPeriódico]]|location=Guatemala|access-date=10 June 2015|date=10 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610184233/http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20150610/pais/13566/Caso-SAT-As%C3%AD-operaba-La-L%C3%ADnea-seg%C3%BAn-el-informe-de-la-CICIG.htm|archive-date=10 June 2015|language=es}}</ref><ref name=Solano22abril>{{cite news|last=Solano|first=Luis|title=#Caso SAT ¿La punta del iceberg?|url=http://www.albedrio.org/htm/articulos/l/ls-038.html|access-date=25 April 2015|location=Guatemala|date=22 April 2015|newspaper=Albedrío|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425212340/http://www.albedrio.org/htm/articulos/l/ls-038.html|archive-date=25 April 2015}}</ref>

Citizens organized a Facebook event inviting people to gather in [[Guatemala City]] to demand Vice President Baldetti's resignation, using the hashtag #RenunciaYa (Resign Now). Within days, over 10,000 people pledged to attend. The organizers emphasized that the event was non-political and instructed protesters to follow the law, avoid covering their faces or wearing party colors, and bring essentials like water, food, and sunblock.<ref name=ollantay21mayo>{{cite news|last=Itzamná|first=Ollantay|title=Guatemala: Indígenas y campesinos indignados exigen la renuncia del Gobierno y plantean un proceso de Asamblea Constituyente popular|url=http://www.albedrio.org/htm/articulos/o/oitzamna-070.html|date=21 May 2015|access-date=21 May 2015|location=Guatemala|newspaper=Albedrío|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521205503/http://www.albedrio.org/htm/articulos/o/oitzamna-070.html|archive-date=21 May 2015|language=es}}</ref> Tens of thousands took to the streets, leading to Baldetti's resignation a few days later. She was forced to remain in Guatemala after the United States revoked her visa, and the Guatemalan government investigated her for involvement in the "La Línea" scandal. The prominent role of US Ambassador Todd Robinson in the investigation fueled suspicions among Guatemalans that the US government sought to replace the Guatemalan administration with one more sympathetic to its interests, particularly to counter China and Russia's influence in the region.<ref name=porras2015>{{cite news|last=Porras Castejón|first=Gustavo|title=Los Estados Unidos y su nueva forma de colonialismo en la que no hay necesidad de tropas|url=http://www.plazapublica.com.gt/content/eeuu-y-su-nueva-forma-de-colonialismo-en-la-que-no-hay-necesidad-de-tropas|newspaper=Plaza Pública|location=Guatemala|date=19 June 2015|access-date=19 June 2015|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924074450/http://www.plazapublica.com.gt/content/eeuu-y-su-nueva-forma-de-colonialismo-en-la-que-no-hay-necesidad-de-tropas|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Since then, the UN anti-corruption committee has reported on additional cases, leading to the resignation or arrest of over 20 government officials. Among the most significant cases are those involving two former presidential private secretaries: Juan de Dios Rodríguez, from the Guatemalan Social Service, and Gustavo Martínez, who was implicated in a bribery scandal involving the Jaguar Energy power plant. Martínez was also the son-in-law of President Pérez Molina.<ref>{{cite news|title=Capturan al ex secretario general de la presidencia |date=9 July 2015 |access-date=9 July 2015 |newspaper=Emisoras Unidas |location=Guatemala |url=http://noticias.emisorasunidas.com/node/140914 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709191641/http://noticias.emisorasunidas.com/node/140914 |archive-date=9 July 2015 }}</ref>

Political opposition leaders have also been implicated in CICIG investigations. Several legislators and members of the Libertad Democrática Renovada (LIDER) party were formally accused of bribery, leading to a sharp decline in support for its presidential candidate, Manuel Baldizón. Before April, Baldizón had been the frontrunner in the 6 September 2015 presidential election. However, his popularity plummeted, and he even accused CICIG leader Iván Velásquez of international interference in Guatemalan affairs before the Organization of American States.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://elperiodico.com.gt/2015/07/29/pais/cicig-si-pero-sin-velasquez-dice-baldizon/ |title=CICIG sí, pero sin Velásquez, dice Baldizón |newspaper=ElPeriódico |location=Guatemala |date=29 July 2015 |access-date=29 July 2015 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729150940/http://elperiodico.com.gt/2015/07/29/pais/cicig-si-pero-sin-velasquez-dice-baldizon/ |archive-date=29 July 2015 }}</ref>

CICIG presented so many cases on Thursdays that Guatemalans began referring to them as "CICIG's Thursdays." However, it was a Friday press conference that escalated the crisis to its peak: on Friday, 21 August 2015, CICIG and Attorney General Thelma Aldana presented evidence suggesting that both President Pérez Molina and former Vice President Baldetti were the actual leaders of "La Línea." Baldetti was arrested that same day, and an impeachment request was made for the president. In response, several cabinet members resigned, and public calls for the president's resignation reached unprecedented levels after Pérez Molina defiantly announced in a televised message on 23 August 2015 that he would not step down.<ref name=periodico21a>{{cite news|url=http://elperiodico.com.gt/2015/08/21/pais/exvicepresidenta-baldetti-capturada-esta-manana-por-tres-delitos/ |title=Ex vicepresidenta Baldetti capturada esta mañana por tres delitos |newspaper=ElPeriódico |location=Guatemala |date=21 August 2015 |access-date=21 August 2015 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821155710/http://elperiodico.com.gt/2015/08/21/pais/exvicepresidenta-baldetti-capturada-esta-manana-por-tres-delitos/ |archive-date=21 August 2015 }}</ref><ref name=eu23a>{{cite news|url=http://noticias.emisorasunidas.com/noticias/nacionales/no-renunciare-enfatiza-presidente-perez-molina |title=No renunciaré, enfatiza Pérez Molina |newspaper=Emisoras Unidas |location=Guatemala |date=23 August 2015 |access-date=23 August 2015 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150824035254/http://noticias.emisorasunidas.com/noticias/nacionales/no-renunciare-enfatiza-presidente-perez-molina |archive-date=24 August 2015 }}</ref>

After thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand the increasingly isolated president's resignation, Guatemala's Congress appointed a commission of five legislators to consider removing the president's immunity from prosecution, a request that was approved by the Supreme Court. A major day of action began on Thursday, 27 August, with marches and roadblocks across the country. Urban groups, which had been leading regular protests since the scandal broke in April, sought to unite with rural and indigenous organizations that were orchestrating roadblocks.

The strike in Guatemala City drew a large, peaceful crowd that included a diverse range of participants, from the indigenous poor to wealthy elites, as well as students from public and private universities. Hundreds of schools and businesses closed in support of the protests. An organization representing Guatemala's most powerful business leaders issued a statement demanding Pérez Molina's resignation and urged Congress to strip him of immunity.

The Attorney General's Office also released a statement urging the president to resign "to prevent ungovernability that could destabilize the nation." As the pressure mounted, two of the president's former ministers of defense and the interior, who were implicated in the corruption investigation and had recently resigned from the cabinet, left the country.<ref name=lopez27a>{{cite news|url=http://elperiodico.com.gt/2015/08/27/pais/vuelan-dos-exministros-lopez-ambrosio-ayer-a-panama-y-lopez-bonilla-hoy-hacia-la-dominicana/ |title=Vuelan dos exministros: Lopez Ambrosio ayer a Panamá y López Bonilla hoy hacia la Dominicana |newspaper=ElPeriódico |location=Guatemala |date=27 August 2015 |access-date=27 August 2015 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827162655/http://elperiodico.com.gt/2015/08/27/pais/vuelan-dos-exministros-lopez-ambrosio-ayer-a-panama-y-lopez-bonilla-hoy-hacia-la-dominicana/ |archive-date=27 August 2015 }}</ref> Meanwhile, Pérez Molina continued to lose support daily. The powerful private sector – which had been a loyal supporter of Molina, their former defender in the Army during the [[Guatemalan Civil War]] – called for his resignation. However, he managed to garner support from entrepreneurs outside the private sector chambers, such as Mario López Estrada, the billionaire owner of cellular phone companies and the grandson of former dictator [[Manuel Estrada Cabrera]], whose executives took over the vacated cabinet positions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nomada.gt/el-multimillonario-rescata-a-opm-a-cambio-de-un-tesoro/|newspaper=Nomada|title=El multimillonario rescata a OPM a cambio de un tesoro|date=27 August 2015|access-date=27 August 2015|author=Olmstead, Gladys|author2=Medina, Sofía|location=Guatemala|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123214943/https://nomada.gt/el-multimillonario-rescata-a-opm-a-cambio-de-un-tesoro/|archive-date=23 January 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The Guatemalan radio station TGTO ("Emisoras Unidas") reported a text message exchange with Pérez Molina, who, when asked whether he planned to resign, responded, "I will face whatever is necessary to face, and what the law requires." Some protesters demanded that the general election be postponed, citing both the ongoing crisis and accusations of irregularities. Others warned that suspending the vote could lead to an institutional vacuum.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guatevision.com/cicig-otto-perez-participo-en-la-liena/ |title=CICIG: Otto Pérez participó en "La Línea" |location=Guatemala |date=21 August 2015 |access-date=21 August 2015 |author=Ruano, Jessica |newspaper=Guatevisión |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821185039/http://www.guatevision.com/cicig-otto-perez-participo-en-la-liena/ |archive-date=21 August 2015 }}</ref> However, on 2 September 2015, Molina resigned from office after Congress impeached him the day before.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34137225|title = Guatemala's President Otto Perez Molina resigns|publisher = BBC News|date = 3 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Renuncia el presidente Otto Pérez|url=http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/politica/renuncia-el-presidente-otto-perez|website=Prensa Libre|date=3 September 2015|access-date=3 September 2015|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905160933/http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/politica/renuncia-el-presidente-otto-perez|archive-date=5 September 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> On 3 September 2015, he was summoned to the Justice Department to face his first legal hearing for the [[:es:Caso de La Línea en Guatemala|La Línea case]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/justicia/perez-molina-se-presentara-ante-el-juez-dice-su-abogado|title=Pérez Molina se presentará ante el juez dice su abogado|date=3 September 2015|access-date=3 September 2015|newspaper=Prensa Libre|location=Guatemala|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905160924/http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/justicia/perez-molina-se-presentara-ante-el-juez-dice-su-abogado|archive-date=5 September 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.s21.com.gt/nacionales/2015/09/03/tienen-toda-intencion-destruirme-afirma-otto-perez-ya-esta-tribunales |title=Tienen toda la intención de destruirme, afirma Otto Perez, ya en tribunales |date=3 September 2015 |access-date=3 September 2015 |newspaper=Siglo 21 |location=Guatemala |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903154829/http://www.s21.com.gt/nacionales/2015/09/03/tienen-toda-intencion-destruirme-afirma-otto-perez-ya-esta-tribunales |archive-date=3 September 2015 }}</ref>

===== Tenures of Jimmy Morales and Alejandro Giammattei (2016–2024) =====
In October 2015, following massive anti-corruption demonstrations, former TV comedian [[Jimmy Morales]] was elected as the new President of Guatemala in the [[2015 Guatemalan general election]]. He took office in January 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35320332|title = Jimmy Morales inaugurated as new Guatemala president|work = BBC News|date = 15 January 2016}}</ref>

In January 2017, President Morales announced that Guatemala would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first nation to follow the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/guatemala-says-it-will-move-its-embassy-from-tel-aviv-to-jerusalem-1.5629570|title = Guatemala Says It Will Move Its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem|newspaper = Haaretz}}</ref>

In January 2020, [[Alejandro Giammattei]] replaced Jimmy Morales as President of Guatemala after winning the [[2019 Guatemalan general election]] in August 2019, running on a "tough-on-crime" platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/guatemala-swears-in-alejandro-giammattei-as-president/a-52006121|title = Guatemala swears in Alejandro Giammattei as president &#124; DW &#124; 15.01.2020| website=[[Deutsche Welle]] }}</ref>

In November 2020, large [[2020 Guatemalan protests|protests and demonstrations]] erupted across Guatemala against President Alejandro Giammattei and the legislature, sparked by cuts to education and health spending.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Guatemala protesters set congress on fire during budget protests |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/22/guatemala-protesters-set-congress-on-fire-during-budget-protests |work=The Guardian |date=22 November 2020}}</ref>