Guatemala
26 Articles

Mexico’s Invisible Human Rights Crisis Intensifies
Standard US policy tropes drown out spiraling systemic abuses, including recent killings of activists and paramilitary violence.

Why Must Central American Asylum Seekers Risk Their Lives to Reach the US? There is an Alternative.
Cold War politics continues to shut out Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans from the US Refugee Admissions Program. That needs to change.

To Combat Central America’s Bad Governance, Biden Can’t Just Throw Money at the Problem
The $4 billion in US aid will have to be carefully managed, and could be leveraged to combat the corruption and impunity that drives so many to migrate.

The Disturbing Links in Trump’s Transactional Foreign Policy: A New Post-Mortem on Guatemala’s Impunity Commission
It’s a riveting — if demoralizing — quid pro quo story, and proof positive of the way corruption begets corruption and autocrats find solace in each other.

“Offshore Processing” in Guatemala: A Deeper Look at the U.S. Asylum Deal
U.S. agreement to "offshore" asylum seekers (of different nationalities) to Guatemala bears striking similarity to Australia's policy of offshoring asylum seekers to an island…

Questions Surround Secretive US-Guatemala Agreement
The agreement signed between the U.S. and Guatemala looks more like an attempt to make Guatemala an American Nauru – a terrible jail for thousands who would seek asylum in the…

“Safe Third Country” Agreements with Mexico and Guatemala would be Unlawful
The Trump Administration is seeking "safe third country" agreements with Mexico and Guatemala to keep Central American asylum seekers from reaching the country - they can't meet…

Persecution of Human Rights Defenders on Social Media: What to Do About It
A recent report documents how online platforms are used to undermine and increase the vulnerability of activists, justice sector personnel, and journalists. It provides three concrete…

The U.S. Must Forcefully Oppose Blanket Amnesty for Civil War Atrocities in Guatemala
“All the people have disappeared.” So reads a declassified cable from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, dated Dec. 28, 1982. The subject was an incident that occurred just…

U.S. Congress Should Stop Security Assistance to Guatemala Until Rule of Law is Restored
As a former Appeal’s Court judge in Guatemala, I am deeply concerned about the rapidly escalating constitutional crisis that threatens recent progress to establish the rule of…

Why Support for U.N.-backed Anti-Corruption Commission in Guatemala is Vital to U.S. Interests
The ongoing constitutional crisis in Guatemala underscores concerns that corruption continues to permeate high levels of the government.

International Law Roundup: Part III
In addition to discussing developments at the international criminal tribunals, addressed in Parts I and II of this series, the IHL Dialogs also offered insights into human rights…