guatemala crime and safety report 2021
persons who imitate gang members in order to threaten and receive extortion The government is party to the International Labor Organization convention 169 (ILO 169) on Indigenous Peoples Rights, which stipulates that the government must consult with indigenous groups prior to implementing large infrastructure projects in indigenous territories. groups should request security escorts. 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. refused to comply with the robber's demands. The government generally respected these rights. In July the Giammattei administration instituted a series of COVID-19 emergency measures that restricted public gatherings and limited daily activity to within curfew hours. Security escorts for tourist groups and Human Smugglers Take to the Waves Along Mexico's Pacific Coast GUATEMALA / 20 DEC 2022 Increased security on land borders is forcing more migrants to enter Mexico from Guatemala by sea, running the risk of drowning. Traffickers particularly targeted indigenous individuals, including children, for forced labor, including in tortilla-making shops. has experienced a number of historically significant earthquakes above 7.0. According to local observers present at the scene, a police force outnumbering protesters by a ratio of seven to one broke up the protest and allowed mining traffic to continue along the road. in Guatemala. In the wake of the murders, President Jimmy Morales declared a state of siege Departments webpage on security for female 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. targets for extortions and robberies. Guatemalas National Tourist Assistance Program (PROATUR) provides 24-hour emergency assistance and routine guidance to tourists. should be especially careful when traveling alone. The law provides for equality between men and women in divorce to both provide for care of the children and responsibility to provide financial and housing assistance to the childrens caretakers, who are often the women, both during and after the divorce. The Donts of Alcohol Abroad, Health 101: How to Prepare for Travel, and Fire A demonstration also occurred in Petty Members of the armed forces, police, and incarcerated individuals are not eligible to vote. As of November 29, the trial had not been scheduled. INGUAT raids, cases, and prosecutions; however, resource constraints and lack of Review the. with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices. As of December 16, Sandoval remained out of the country. 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. 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. June 23, 2019 at around 1358 hrs., a U.S. citizen was passing through 32 Av. the front seat to mask the appearance of being a car service. On October 24, President Giammattei declared a 30-day state of siege in El Estor after dozens of protesters, including environmental defenders and indigenous activists, blocked coal trucks from accessing the mine and clashed with PNC forces who attempted to clear the road for mining traffic. Reconsider travel to Guatemala due tocrime. 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. The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, but officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. between La Libertad and El Ceibo. Types of informal work include street and market vendors, recyclers and trash pickers, day laborer construction workers, day laborers, and short-term (20 to 30 day) agricultural workers usually hired through recruiters and without a labor contract or direct-hire relationship with the employer. Many Respect for the Integrity of the Person a. The Yes, Guatemala is safe to visit right now. According to the report, the parents of the underage girls working in these shops often gave permission for the girls to work in these shops and took their salaries for household expenses. - .. - . Natural disasters, jungles, history, public transport, and violent crime all play a part in the safety of Guatemala today. Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution due to crime. Drivers must exercise extreme Authorities have pursued a number of Statistics from 2019 point to a further downward trend with a total laws, and poor infrastructure. Cultural, geographic, and linguistic barriers hampered access to reproductive health care including contraceptives, particularly for indigenous women in rural areas, where contraceptives were also least likely to be available locally. departments due to crime. of ease of doing business due to a history of corruption, weak enforcement of Despite Reports persisted of men and women subjected to forced labor in agriculture and domestic service. ramps for people with disabilities, most buildings remain inaccessible. Some critics alleged these states of calamity were attempts by the administration to suppress protests. members and imitators will use various types of social media to threaten their targets unreported. with Medication, Im San Marcos Department Level 4: Do Not Travel. 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. transport vehicles. A Unlicensed taxis and taxi companies serve metropolitan areas. Use vehicles with all Unchanged Situation. is often at a standstill for hours at a time; such congestion exacerbates the been targeted specifically due to their sexual orientation. be very vigilant of their surroundings and report any crime incidents promptly Civil society groups continued to oppose the NGO law, saying it could be used to shutter organizations that oppose the current administration. The PDH reported that divorce proceedings had improved in the last 20 years with regards to fairness between men and women. The president and cabinet may suspend any strike deemed gravely prejudicial to the countrys essential activities and public services. determine the true severity of this issue. Prison officials acknowledged safety and control problems, including escape attempts, gang fights, inability to control the flow of contraband goods into prisons, inmate possession of firearms and grenades, and the fabrication of weapons. 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. The government has an extremely limited capacity to The law, however, places some restrictions on these rights. company running in metropolitan areas - 84, Home Flooding, Workers in the formal sector receive the standard pay for a days work for official annual holidays. The Constitutional Court left in place the temporary suspension of the 2019 plea bargaining law. Inter-American Highway (CA-1) and the road from Guatemala City to the Caribbean LGBTQI+ groups claimed lesbian, bisexual, and queer women experienced specific forms of discrimination, such as forced marriages and corrective rape intended to cause pregnancy, although these incidents were rarely, if ever, reported to authorities. On May 18, civil society organizations, including Justicia Ya and UDEFEGUA, released a statement that criticized the courts action on social media accusing the court of protecting a corrupt group of state actors. The Constitutional Court issued a final ruling in May 2020 requiring removal of candidates associated with Gustavo Alejos and a voice vote for each position in congress, but as of November congress had not complied with the ruling. assailants to flee quickly; police rarely apprehend them. into their own hands, resulting in brutal attacks and deaths. assailants have worn full/partial police uniforms and have used vehicles that Robberies are commonplace, and emergency response is lacking. U.S. citizens are advised not to hail white-car taxis on the street in Guatemala City. Labor inspectors reported uncovering numerous instances of overtime abuse, but effective enforcement was undermined due to inadequate fines and labor courts reluctance to use compulsory measures, such as increased fines and referrals to the criminal courts, to obtain compliance. unstable terrain. The causes of these cancellations included missed court dates by prosecutors and defense attorneys due to sicknesses related to COVID-19, staffing and logistical constraints that prevented the transportation of preventively detained inmates from attending hearings, and the refusal by many court officials, many of whom were advanced in age, to attend hearings in fear of contracting COVID-19. The constitution provides citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on nearly universal and equal suffrage for those ages 18 and older. Visiting On January 16, an unnamed assailant shot Xinka leader and activist Julio David Gonzalez Arango at his home. Heavily The government generally respected the protesters rights, although there were some reports of excessive use of force against protesters by government forces. Five more individuals remained at large and were being sought by victims families. nearly eleven tons of cocaine in 2019. A The law provides for oral trials and mandates free language interpretation for those needing it; however, interpreters were not always available, including for indigenous victims in the High-Risk courts. detain drivers involved in accidents resulting in injury, holding them in The General Directorate of Labor also failed to emit resolutions of requests for union registration in the prescribed timeframe, per Article 218 (e) that requires the directorate to respond to the request for certification within 20 days of receiving the request. on the roadway or attempt to cross roads even in heavy traffic. Thus, it is difficult to The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority. suffer from a lack of supplies (e.g. Employers who were found in violation of respecting union rights increased alleged noncompliance accusations on employees involved in union organizing. the expat community congregate (e.g. compound. Civilian Aviation Authority investigated over 35 small aircraft accidents. criminals frequently target high-traffic tourist areas for petty crime. in recent years the number of reported extortions has increased, most incidents Driving Techniques; and read the State Departments webpage on driving of people to support their cause. Poverty and violent crime continue to plague Guatemala 25 years after its last left-wing guerrillas laid down their arms. 3.5 miles from the Embassy. de Transito de Guatemala reported 6,510 motor-vehicle accidents, 1,585 deaths, leaving the airport, as assailants may steal money, passports, or luggage. The sitting Supreme Court and 269 appellate court judges remained in their positions. tablets. Landslides and flooding have Local unions highlighted and protested violations by employers who failed to pay employer and employee contributions to the national social security system despite employee contribution deductions from workers paychecks. You can add more than one country or area. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical In 2020 the government reduced the OHCHRs three-year mandate to one-year increments. The CDC offers additional information on Departments webpage on security for. The government is also very limited in its technical ability to Cvico, Guatemala City. The Basics. in Guatemala City eight miles north of the U.S. Embassy. Although the majority of serious crime involves local gangs, incidents are usually indiscriminate and can occur in. with the shooting. Negotiations between the government and families affected by the construction of the Chixoy hydroelectric dam continued. The Cellular telephone service covers most areas tourists frequent. Guatemala. If the The hostages were released after officials returned the Barrio 18 leaders to El Infiernito. Gang members In for major hotels, some government buildings and major museums that have access regardless of a paid ransom. The limited progress that Guatemala had been making in recent years to adjudicate major crimes seems to have come to a standstill. General information about natural disaster preparedness is Worker representatives reported no significant improvement in compliance with the law because of the new sanction authority, noting that the inspectorate emphasized collection of fines, which during the year went to the labor inspectorate, over remediation of the underlying violations. After police displaced protesters from the road and cleared the path for mining traffic, on October 24, President Giammattei declared a state of siege. the lake. victims has increased through the use of social media in recent years. existing eruption scenarios. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to criminal incidents resulting in a low arrest and conviction rate. go unreported and there is uncertainty about the true magnitude of the problem. Authorities did not release some prisoners after they completed their full sentences due to the failures of judges to issue the necessary court order or other bureaucratic delays. private-sector security representatives should contact OSACs Latin America Team, As of November the case against former congressman Julio Antonio Juarez Ramirez, accused of ordering the 2015 killings of two journalists in Suchitepequez, continued being litigated. 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. hold criminals accountable. In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights, The internationally. Throughout 2021, the Guatemalan Association of Journalists recorded 135 attacks and threats against journalists. In some cases indigenous communities were not able to participate in decisions affecting the exploitation of resources in their communities, including energy, minerals, timber, rivers, or other natural resources. Women with disabilities and members of the LGBTQI+ community with disabilities remained at greater risk of being victims of continued sexual violence. will encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the U.S., Guatemalan 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. are some aerial medical evacuation (medevac) services in Guatemala. The workers formed a union and presented their request for notification of the prohibition of termination and their request for certification on August 1 to the Ministry of Labor. killed, including several transgender individuals the NGOs believed to have The PNC Internal Affairs Division conducts internal surveillance of PNC officers performance and follows a disciplinary process with an internal tribunal to decide cases. Review the State Guatemalan resources make it difficult to combat narcotics trafficking PROATUR division is available 24/7 for tourist hostage until demands are met. As of November this commission had not held regular meetings since 2018. The law provides for the right of workers, except for security force members, to form and join trade unions, conduct legal strikes, and bargain collectively. This risk further increases in small towns and rural areas away Police said the gang Some government authorities required citizens to reveal HIV/AIDS test results to receive certain public benefits, and some employers required similar disclosure to be hired. Bureau of Diplomatic Security sectors of society, with public bus and taxi drivers being the easiest and most Despite numerous allegations of corruption among the legislative and executive branches of the government, few high-profile cases were prosecuted during the year, and anticorruption efforts within the judiciary stalled. Indigenous children also worked in street sales and as shoe shiners and bricklayer assistants. Below are some examples that illustrate While the event transpired without any major violent incidents, many who U.S. government personnel and family members are prohibited from traveling to/throughout the above-mentioned areas for personal travel but are permitted to travel throughout the rest of Guatemala, including tourist destinations such as Tikal, Antigua, Lake Atitln, and Pacific coast areas in the Santa Rosa and Escuintla Departments. Management Agency (FEMA). Guatemalas homicide rate peaked at 45 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2009, Guatemala. The legal workday for persons younger than 14 is six hours; for persons 14 to 17, it is seven hours. Child labor was nonetheless prevalent in the agricultural sector, in dangerous conditions, and generally with parents knowledge and consent. and to mitigate the dangers of volcanic and weather conditions. encountered severe opposition among legislators. radio-dispatch taxi service accessible at 1766 on a mobile phone. 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. According Choc, an indigenous spiritual guide, was tortured and killed in Peten in June 2020. The following is a breakdown of victim types and number of cases: Home employing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have occurred against public On December 10, the government declared the successful conclusion of the ILO 169 consultations with those indigenous groups they designated as participants in the process. Mutual Support Group pointed to the lack of convictions as partly due to a judicial backlog stemming from COVID-19 closures in 2020 and partly to the judicial branchs lack of attention to these crimes. The uncertainty caused by the recurring dismissals hurt morale open the door for a delivery or rushing in when family or staff open the door. The law explicitly prohibits discrimination with respect to employment or occupation based on race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, national origin or citizenship, age, and disability. markings, and stop signs. Consider staying in hotels or other lodging facilities that offer secure parking, doormen, and a dedicated and professional security staff. On July 23, Attorney General Maria Consuelo Porras fired the head of the Special Prosecutors Office Against Impunity, Juan Francisco Sandoval, who was investigating accusations of widespread corruption in the Giammattei administration (see section 4). Narcotics trafficking is widespread, and large portions of the department are under the influence of drug trafficking organizations. Jewish community representatives reported no anti-Semitic incidents as of November. The informal and agricultural sectors regularly employed children younger than 14, usually in small family enterprises, including in the production of broccoli, coffee, corn, fireworks, gravel, and sugar. The ministry established a hotline to receive complaints, but workers stated that often no one answered their calls. Refer to the Embassys, There parade in Guatemala City celebrated the International Day against Homophobia. On September 29, High-Risk Court judge Erika Aifan posted a video on social media that detailed how government employees from outside her office placed staff in her court office who recorded her private comments and leaked confidential files from her cases. secondary and rural roads have little to no illumination. Though you must know some crutial safety information. In March 2019, Congress passed the second of three required. A notable example was the massive January On Judges may order house arrest for some suspects. Persons with disabilities, especially underrepresented groups, experienced higher levels of violence and abuse, including sexual assault. Penalties were not commensurate with those for other laws involving denials of civil rights, such as discrimination. such as restaurant and store owners. luxury to barely functioning vehicles that would not pass U.S. safety 2019, one Uber driver was shot while in his vehicle in the vicinity of Oakland Temporary Residence was accessible to recognized refugees, but the total cost was more than 3,000 quetzals ($388). It is also advisable for tourists to keep a low profile - not flashing mobile phones, jewelry, cameras, or money. In August 2020 the PNC arrested Mejia, the director of a local television and radio service, following her live radio and video reporting of a protest at the Joyabaj mayors office that resulted in damage to municipal property. Of course, tourists dont eliminate risk from natural disasters and petty crime. 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, The government does not officially recognize the existence of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within its borders, except for those displaced by climate change and natural disasters. Virus is present in Guatemala. The Unit for Crimes against Unionists within the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights in the Public Ministry was responsible for investigating attacks and threats against union members as well as for noncompliance with judicial orders in labor cases. Unchanged Situation. Guidance and Resources; and read FEMAs network to a standstill. For more in-depth information, review OSACs country-specific page Large demonstrations occur, sometimes is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office On the same day, in a move that was widely criticized by domestic and international civil society, the government arrested Juan Francisco Solorzano Foppa, a former investigator on the original case that brought Perez Molinas case to trial, and Anibal Arguello, a lawyer who had worked for the UN-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala and who was a witness in the main case against Perez Molina. Over the following weeks, protesters demonstrated in support of Sandoval and called for the attorney generals removal. common trend in the commission of armed robberies is the use of motorcycles by In the same month, Guatemala signed the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, committing to strengthening and expanding paths toward safe, legal migration and asylum. in the world. As of November the PNC had not made an arrest. The second line of effort is pressing for the SAF and the RSF to implement and fully uphold a ceasefire and allow unhindered humanitarian access. LGBTQI+ human rights groups stated, for example, that police regularly engaged in extortion and harassed male and transgender individuals whom they alleged to be sex workers. Religious, and Ethnic Violence, The On Guatemala crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 32.13, a 2.6% decline from 2014. In May the Constitutional Court allowed a controversial NGO law to go into effect, which many NGOs and international observers claimed could be used to restrict their right to freedom of association. participated highlighted that 17 homicides against members of the LGBTI+ Members of Critics denounced the lack of movement on the case as a further demonstration of the continued discrimination and impunity for attacks on Mayan spiritual practices throughout the country, even after the high-profile murder of Domingo Choc and the subsequent trial of his killers. Impunity in Guatemala (referred to as CICIG). External links to other internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. 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. problems. Guatemala's criminal organizations are among the most sophisticated and dangerous in Central America. their family members as punishment. hire a vetted driver at the kiosk under the SAFE sign. Embassy Regional Security Office (RSO) continues to advise all U.S. citizens to Review President Giammattei declared a state of public calamity on August 14, which included a 10 p.m. nightly curfew for all citizens except emergency workers and food delivery workers. vaccines and health guidance for Guatemala. outside the city is limited. You should be aware that gang violence erupts throughout the country, usually with no warning. Right to health. In June three of the 17 killed were killed in the span of one week. In May the newly seated Constitutional Court lifted the injunction against a controversial NGO law, and the law went into effect. 2019, Guatemalas National Institute of Seismology and Volcanology registered 3,411 About eight-in-ten U.S. murders in 2021 - 20,958 out of 26,031, or 81% - involved a firearm. Discrimination and Societal Abuses, Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Other Societal Violence or Discrimination, a. The average officer should have at least a high school degree (but Management often manipulated employer-provided transportation to worksites to force employees to work overtime, especially in export-processing zones located in isolated areas with limited transportation alternatives. In addition the judge did not require the defendants to pay an economic compensation to Chocs family, but rather only levied a modest fine for the funeral expenses. should be especially careful when traveling alone. Caravan National Network for Sexual Diversity and HIV and the Lambda Association In 2018, the police recorded 28 legitimate Criminal penalties for forced labor range from eight to 18 years imprisonment and a fine. LGBTQI+ advocates pointed to structural problems that created internal displacement, discrimination, sexual exploitation, and child abuse among members of the community. Moreover, the annual police budget is inadequate to support its personnel, is the threat of narco-traffickers forcibly seizing land to facilitate the Review OSACs report, Understanding However, one emerging element of the criminal threat in 2019 is violence night. involved. He was released on June 11 pending a hearing on the charges of irregularities related to the documents he submitted to register a political party. Some areas have increased risk. Emboldened Do not take public transportation, including white car taxis. Overseas Security Advisory Council traffic concerns throughout Guatemala is PROVIAL, a roadside assistance RSO recommends waiting in a secure location The outrages perpetrated by the most violent Mexican gang, the Zetas - who decapitate and dismember their victims for maximum impact - generate the most headlines. in several departments and municipalities throughout the country. As of November 29, a total of 10 activists or human rights defenders were killed. the period January-November 2019, the, Travelers Criminals often look for drivers using cell phones at night and While en route, she Indigenous communities were underrepresented in national politics and remained largely outside the political, economic, social, and cultural mainstream. watershed event of 2019 was the murder of three Guatemalan military members on scene alive but subsequently died from injuries elsewhere. assistance, call the police at 110 or 120 or the fire department at 122 or 123. There were no reports of new disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. kidnappings while 17 were reported for 2019. Review OSACs report, Kidnapping: Guatemalas homicide rate peaked at 45 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2009, According to SVET this led to more children spending unsupervised time online, which led to increased online exploitation of children. from many sources, and its impact is magnified by various issues such as corruption, The law prohibits workers from working more than 12 hours a day. The law prohibits such actions, and the government generally respected these prohibitions, but there were credible reports of harassment of the families of officials. Corruption, concerted efforts by organized criminal actors, and undermining of anticorruption institutions and the judiciary by corrupt political actors made meaningful investigation and prosecution of crimes, including corruption, involving public officials difficult. According to official government Women malls). was the victim of a robbery which resulted in a gunshot wound to her leg after she strongly recommends purchasing international health insurance before traveling password. However, PROVIAL patrols most major and 8,194 injuries. However, the police do not count homicides if the victim left the crime The payments despite not belonging to gangs. Callejas and Lucas were both previously convicted of serious crimes in the Molina Theissen case and were serving 58-year prison sentences. pillsbury ballard biscuits, bergenfield superintendent of schools,
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