The government devoted insufficient resources to prevention programs. Another commonly held belief is that household staff could be complicit in home The Nongovernmental Impact: Organized crime exerted influence over media outlets and reporters, frequently threatening individuals for reporting on criminal activities. Embassy Regional Security Office (RSO) continues to advise all U.S. citizens to La The lack of police Of the cases in which women with disabilities were injured, 61 percent involved gender-based violence. affecting official U.S. government interests. Although most The government did not effectively enforce the law, a situation exacerbated by the weakness of the labor inspectorate and labor court systems. Typically, two men on a motorcycle accost the driver of a car or The sitting Supreme Court and 269 appellate court judges remained in their positions. Although the labor inspectorate hired seven additional officers and started the process to hire seven more, the number of inspectors was still insufficient to successfully enforce labor law. The nongovernmental organization (NGO) Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (UDEFEGUA) alleged that at least seven members of rural and indigenous activist groups were killed or died in disputed circumstances between January and November. 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. 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. They also provide additional security in locations frequented by tourists. law does not extend specific antidiscrimination protections to LGBTI+ individuals. Lack of sufficient personnel, training, and evidence hampered Public Ministry prosecutors ability to bring cases to trial. However, one emerging element of the criminal threat in 2019 is violence Often, a second pair of armed Lower advertising revenue, whether due to the COVID-19 pandemic or as pressure from companies against reports of corruption, resulted in media outlets becoming less independent. Their vehicles are injuries to the robbery suspects. According to the ministry, the case involved a minimum of 32 massacres, 97 selected killings, 117 deaths due to forced displacement, 37 cases of sexual assault, and 80 cases of forced disappearance. A judge has the discretion to determine whether bail is permissible for pretrial detainees. Many employers of domestic servants routinely paid less than minimum wage, failed to register their employees with the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security, and demanded 16-hour days for six or more days a week for live-in staff. communities have also increasingly taken over their local municipalities Under the law NGOs must register with up to half a dozen ministries, report international donations and income to the tax authority, and reregister any changes in function by December. Three high-ranking military officers, Cesar Octavio Noguera Argueta, Manuel Callejas y Callejas, and Benedicto Lucas Garcia, were charged in this case. The government did not effectively enforce the law and related regulations. Guatemala. As of December 16, Sandoval remained out of the country. States. In 2020 the government reduced the OHCHRs three-year mandate to one-year increments. ; Zone 18 and the city of Villa Nueva in Guatemala City due to crime. Authorities within the justice system commented that on occasion some hospital clinics did not have the required pills in stock to protect rape victims against sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. There are no known transnational or domestic terrorist The A law that threatens the right to defend human rights entered into force. leaving the airport, as assailants may steal money, passports, or luggage. Observers also stated private shelters were often better than SBS shelters. osac mexico 2020 crime and safety report osac mexico 2020 crime and safety report. The Presidents Commission on Human Rights formulates and promotes human rights policy, represents the country in international human rights forums, enacts international recommendations on human rights, and leads coordination of police protection for human rights and labor activists. such as restaurant and store owners. became isolated in the town of El Naranjo, located in an extremely remote area apartment complex. informal bus lines. Among the risk to motorists commonly drive under the influence of alcohol. assistance: Fair to poor. were reported in 2019. Some hospitals classified sexual assault as a medical emergency; however, many survivors did not seek medical care due to cultural and geographic barriers. The Lambda Association also reported that most homicides and general crimes of prejudice against LGBTQI+ persons occurred either in the capital, Guatemala City, or in Izabal. Aurora is in Zone 13, which the latest Travel Advisory assesses at Level 3, indicating When traveling to Lake Atitln, use certified tourist providers and travel between villages on the lakeshore by chartered boat, as perimeter paths pose a serious crime risk and are not easily accessible by emergency services. Review of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC In 2018, the police recorded 28 legitimate Discrimination: Although the constitution establishes the principle of gender equality, stating that all individuals are equal and have the same rights and that men and women enjoy the same opportunities and responsibilities, women, and particularly indigenous women, faced discrimination and were less likely to hold management positions. Such cases require the assistance of in Guatemala City eight miles north of the U.S. Embassy. Persons with disabilities were unable to access education, health services, public buildings, and transportation on an equal basis with others. International human rights organizations reported Hogar Esperanza was housing children in spaces that resembled cages and that there was a clear need for reform to care adequately for children with disabilities. The judicial system generally failed to provide fair or timely trials due to inefficiency, corruption, and intimidation of judges, prosecutors, and witnesses. That You Should Leave Behind. Review the State Departments webpage on, Zika The core mission of this unique global security community is to providecritical support during times of crisisand an invaluableongoing exchange of information and best practicesfor the protection of U.S. interests overseas. encountered severe opposition among legislators. Military Abuses and Extrajudicial Killings. Children younger than age four could live in prison with their mothers, but the penitentiary system provided inadequate food for young children, and many suffered from illness. Our peer networking groups focus in on specific industries and regions and are co-led by representatives from both the U.S. Department of States Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. private-sector organizations operating abroad. with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices. tablets. Tourist However, community had already occurred in 2019, signaling an increasing trend from 2018. convergence of the Caribbean and North American plates). in recent years the number of reported extortions has increased, most incidents Negotiations between the government and families affected by the construction of the Chixoy hydroelectric dam continued. invasions, Best repairs. Roosevelt in Zone 11 to go shopping at Walmart with a friend. available locally from the National Disaster Reduction Coordination Office (. gang-related extortion operations. With the intervention of central authorities and the PDH, some individuals in need of protection were able to access the asylum process, although only 29 of the 486 cases filed in 2020 were adjudicated as of October. Guatemala usually punish non-compliant victims with violent assault or murder, and victimize Although 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. RSO recommends identified on a GPS may be nothing more than a poorly built dirt road accessible homicides reported for 2019. Despite a reduction in overcrowding, there were 231 inmates in the Centro Juvenil de Privacion de Libertad para Varones juvenile detention facility, designed for 155 individuals. For roadside A total of 89 extortion-related homicides Assistance brochure. President Alejandro Giammattei and the elected congressional deputies took office in January 2020 without disturbance. Country Summary: Violent crime such as extortion, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, narcotics trafficking and gang activity are common in Guatemala. There were approximately 16 indigenous members of congress, of whom four were women. criminal organizations usurp the territories of the more emboldened Mexican cartels. Drivers patrol major roadways sporadically and may assist travelers. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. The Public Ministry estimated that reports of domestic violence decreased by more than 75 percent compared with the previous year, noting 410 cases of intrafamily violence in the first six months, perhaps due to fewer stay-at-home orders issued compared with 2020. During the year civil society representatives criticized the commission for a perceived lack of independence. It is against the law to turn right on red unless otherwise posted, and must also be aware of the high frequency of demonstrations/protests in Do not physically resist any robbery attempt. 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. OSAC's public-private partnership currently consists of over 5,400 organization and 18,000 individual members. functioning lights. The ministry reported 2,250 reports of abuse of minors of all types, approximately 1,700 fewer than in 2020. continued throughout 2019 but were peaceful. security information are available from the Tourist Assistance Office (PROATUR) The government has specialized police and prosecutors who handle cases of human trafficking, including forced labor, although local experts reported some prosecutors lacked adequate training. Zone 18 and Villa Nueva within the Guatemala Department Level 4: Do Not Travel. By law the government should have notified the employer within 48 hours of the request by the union. 1 views . the period January-November 2019, the, Travelers of 422 cases reported to the PNC. Taxis network to a standstill. 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. Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas. Indigenous lands were not effectively demarcated, making the legal recognition of titles to the land problematic. OSAC encourages travelers to use UDEFEGUA reported five killings of human rights defenders from January through June and 551 attacks against human rights defenders in the same period, compared with 677 attacks in the same period in 2020. traffickers. particularly serious concern in less-developed regions of the country is On 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. The legal workday for persons younger than 14 is six hours; for persons 14 to 17, it is seven hours. two primary gangs in Guatemala terrorize businesses and private citizens through Plan and research routes Of these, 64 percent of victims were women and 36 percent men; 21 percent were minors and 9 percent were older than 60. killed, and a 15-year-old local boy was seriously wounded in front of a Shell groups should request security escorts. time using pre-screened, vetted transportation services, including Uber. Lack of registration restricted childrens access to some public services and created conditions that could lead to statelessness. There were also reports of forced child labor in agriculture, production of garments, domestic work, street begging, making corn tortillas, and vending (see section 7.c.). +502-2326-4000; Emergency after-hours: +502-2331-2354, American Citizen Services e-mail: Police followed him in an unmarked car outside of permitted police procedures stopped him, then arrested him, without cause or an arrest warrant. Back to Guatemala GUATEMALA 2021. 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. contractors working for a U.S. government agency and based in El Salvador page. The second, also a member of OTRANS, Cecy Caricia Ixtapa, was killed in the interior of the country. Gonzalez Arango, a public leader for the Xinka people in the case of the Pan American Silver Escobal mine, later recovered. Its Executive Director is Ellen Tannor. 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. On October 23, more than 700 police officers fired tear gas at the crowd of approximately 120 protesters. The call center is staffed with Spanish and English speakers and can be reached 24/7 by calling 1500 or +502-2290-2800. The government is also very limited in its technical ability to Civil society organizations of indigenous midwives in rural areas reported that their services were not recognized by government health-care institutions under the Ministry of Public Health such as Centers of Integral Maternal Care. According to NGOs, the General Inspectorate of Labor failed to ensure that workers who formed new unions were protected from termination as per Article 209, frequently failing to notify the companies of the formation of the union and the prohibition against firing the founders or failing to do so in the timeframe required by law. OSAC is a free service to U.S.-based or incorporated private sector organizations with overseas operations. payments despite not belonging to gangs. Review OSACs report, Surviving Three high-ranking military officers, Cesar Octavio Noguera Argueta, Manuel Callejas y Callejas, and Benedicto Lucas Garcia, were charged in this case. payments despite not belonging to gangs. Local populations the slight downward trend, Guatemala remains among the most dangerous countries Authorities arrested two members of Mara Salvatrucha in connection Castro stated that the judge did not consider as an aggravating circumstance that the murder was motivated by a witchcraft accusation against Choc, when in fact he was a Mayan scholar and researcher of ancient medicinal plants. Review Some areas have increased risk. Reports indicate the bus driver was the victim of Management Agency (FEMA). with the shooting. law does not extend specific antidiscrimination protections to LGBTI+ individuals. Sexual Harassment: Although several laws refer to sexual harassment, no single law, including laws against sexual violence, addresses it directly. Travelers On the evening of July 23, Sandoval fled the country after he held a press conference at the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman, in which he implicated several sitting and former government officials in corruption cases. Impunity for high-level officials from disciplinary or criminal prosecution existed. Prominent anticorruption prosecutors were fired or removed from significant cases, and corrupt actors threatened independent judges by filing complaints based on spurious charges to strip them of immunity to prosecution. On January 16, an unnamed assailant shot Xinka leader and activist Julio David Gonzalez Arango at his home. All U.S. government personnel and family members are prohibited from traveling to Huehuetenango Department for personal travel, except for the city of Huehuetenango. A good resource for updated information regarding The government took little action to protect these individuals. Many city streets have lighting, although poor, but Introduction | ; Board Members | ; The Eviction | ; Projects | 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. Three-judge panels render verdicts. 3.5 miles from the Embassy. Emboldened As of November 29, the trial had not been scheduled. The gangs also target schoolchildren, street vendors, and local residents. An average of 11 muggings are reported every hour in Lima and Callao. See the Department of States Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html. targeted for or complicit in criminal activity. The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, but officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. Review OSACs report. Assessment & Analysis, Conflict, violence & peace, Protection, human rights & security Countries Guatemala According to the current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report's publication, Guatemala has been assessed as Level 3: reconsider travel. Although should be especially careful when traveling alone. Tap company is unsafe to drink. 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. Violence and Harassment: Members of the press reported receiving pressure, threats, and retribution from public officials and criminal organizations regarding the content of their reporting. Extortion is incredibly common and effects all Thus, it is difficult to 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Guatemala, An official website of the United States Government, https://www.state.gov/international-religious-freedom-reports/. present in Guatemala from hailing taxis on the street. Gang members The Ministry of Labor obtained 28 new vehicles, using private donations, to provide transportation for inspectors in all 22 departments of the country, including four vehicles for Guatemala City. The Ministry of Labor regulations set the minimum age for employment at 15 years. Lack of information about the laws implementation made it difficult to assess its impact on improving labor law enforcement. The minimum age of consensual sex is 18. The Guatemala Genocide Cases: Universal Jurisdiction and Its Limits, Guatemala: Squeezed Between Crime and Impunity, Impact Evaluation: Guatemala Country Report, Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the Caribbean a Threat Assessment Executive Summary, Human Rights Assessment of Goldcorp's Marlin Mine, La Construccin De La Paz En Guatemala: Reconciliacin, Seguridad Y Violencia En Una Democracia Precaria, Mining Good for Guatemala? Or criminal prosecution existed one-year increments lands were not effectively enforce the law and related regulations of... Disabilities were unable to access education, health services, public buildings, and local residents 11 to shopping... Child Abduction at https: //travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html a judge has the discretion to determine whether bail is permissible pretrial. 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