Guatemalan Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of Guatemala make up the organization in charge of the national defense of the Republic of Guatemala. According to article 244 of the Constitution, it is an institution destined to maintain the independence, sovereignty and honor of Guatemala, the integrity of the territory, peace and internal and external security.

The highest command is held by the President of the Republic of Guatemala who is the general commander. The Minister of Defense is responsible for monitoring government policies and transmits his orders through the Chief of the National Defense Staff, who is responsible for the operation of the different units.

Constitutionally, the Armed Forces of Guatemala are divided into:

• The Earth Forces: which are represented in Guatemalan Land Army;
• The Sea Forces: which are represented in the Guatemalan Navyand
• Air Forces: which are represented in the Guatemalan Air Force.

The Republic of Guatemala is a signatory to the Rio Pact and a member of the Central American Defense Council (CONDECA).

Legal framework

Members of the Parachute Brigade, Puerto San José.

The Legal Framework of the Armed Forces of Guatemala is regulated in articles 244 to 250 of the Political Constitution of the Republic and in the Constitutive Law of the Army, the Legal Framework detailed in the Magna Carta is presented below:

Art. 244.- Integration, Organization and Purposes of the Army: The Guatemalan Army is an institution designed to maintain the independence, sovereignty and honor of Guatemala, the integrity of the territory, peace and internal and external security.

It is unique and indivisible, essentially professional, apolitical, obedient and non-deliberative.

It is made up of Land, Air and Sea Forces.

Their organization is hierarchical and based on the principles of discipline and obedience.

Art. 245.- Prohibition of Illegal Armed Groups: The organization and operation of armed groups not regulated by the laws of the Republic and its regulations is punishable.

Art. 246.- Positions and Attributions of the President in the Army: The President of the Republic is the general commander of the Army and will issue his orders through the general officer or colonel or his equivalent in the Navy, who performs the position of Minister of National Defense.

In this capacity, it has the powers indicated by law and especially the following:

• 1. Decrete mobilization and demobilize; and
• 2. To grant the promotions of the Guatemalan Army ' s official status in time of peace and war, as well as to confer military decorations and honours in the cases and forms established by the Constitutive Law of the Army and other military laws and regulations. It may also grant extraordinary pensions.

Art. 247.- Requirements to be an Army Officer: To be an officer in the Guatemalan Army, one must be of Guatemalan origin or not have adopted a foreign nationality at any time.

Art. 248.- Prohibitions: Members of the Guatemalan Army in active service cannot exercise the right to vote or the right to petition in political matters. Nor can they exercise the right to petition collectively.

Art. 249.- Cooperation of the Army: The Army will provide its cooperation in situations of emergency or public calamity.

Art. 250.- Legal regime of the Army: The Guatemalan Army is governed by the provisions of the Constitution, its Constitutive Law and other laws and military regulations.

History

The Guatemalan Army has its origins in the colonial period where the Guatemalan territory, being a general captaincy, required a greater organized military presence. By 1750 there was already a regular army in Guatemala, with Spanish officers trained in Europe or Creoles trained in other American colonies such as Chile, where the Hispanic military presence was also relevant.

After independence, Guatemala was ruled by Gabino Gaínza, former military governor of Chile during the Spanish reconquest period during the southern country's independence. Gaínza, as a professional soldier, took measures to begin the professionalization of the nascent Guatemalan national army, a measure that was continued by the rulers that followed him. Around 1870 the Polytechnic School (Military Academy) was created; For its creation and development, a Spanish general and a group of Spanish officers were hired.

Based on these considerations, it can be said that the Guatemalan Army maintained the Spanish essence of the armies of the colony and in the XIX century took the model of the modern Spanish army, which it applied almost as a copy until the 1930s when In its ideological, doctrinal and formal approaches, it began to receive great influence from the United States, which implied open interventions in Guatemalan contingent politics, which triggered a deep and serious polarization that resulted in an armed conflict with hundreds of thousands of deaths since 1960 to 1996, the year that the final peace was achieved.

Participation in dictatorships and crimes against humanity

The Guatemalan army played a leading role in the intervention of the US CIA in the internal affairs of the Republic of Guatemala throughout the decades from 1950 to 1990. Regarding the Guatemalan Civil War, according to the Commission for Historical Clarification, government forces are responsible for 93% of the violence of the conflict and guerrilla groups for 3% (4% are not identified).

News

One of the peace agreements, signed in December 1996, focuses on the fact that the mission of the armed forces should be exclusively foreign affairs. However, the current president's predecessors, Álvaro Arzú, Alfonso Portillo and Óscar Berger, used a constitutional clause in recent years to order the Army to support the police in aspects of Civil Security. The constitutional clause is found in article 244 of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala, where it is emphasized that internal and external security is the responsibility of the Army.

The Peace Accords indicated a reduction of one third of the authorized armed forces and budget —something that has already been accomplished— and a constitutional amendment to allow the appointment of a civil Defense Minister, said amendment was rejected as part of a referendum in May 1999, but discussions between the executive and legislative branches continue on how to achieve this goal. The Army has met its agreed target of 31,000 troops, including the Guatemalan Air Force and the National Defense Navy.

Organization

The Armed Forces are organized as follows:

• 1. High Command of the Army
• 2. Ministry of National Defence.
• 3. General Staff of the National Defence.
• 4. Military Commands.
• 5. Special Military Commands.
• 6. Military Services.
• 7. Special Major States.
• 8. Personal Major States.
• 9. Training, Vocational Education, Military Training and Training Centres.
• 10. Assistant Military Units.
• 11. Other Military Units.

Equipment

Combat Vehicles/Infantry Combat

Guatemala has:

• 30 TBP armoured vehicle manufactured by the War Materials Service, which have been fitted with 50-caliber machine guns and some versions with turret. The Guatemala War Material Service has built several units of the TBP Armored Vehicle.

• 30 M113 A1/2, in reserve

• Cadillac Gage Commando V-100, acquired from the United States (0 on service 07 in reserve).

• 25 light scanning vehicles RBY MK 1 (on reserve).

The Armed Forces are equipped with weapons and war material from the United States, Israel, the former Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Argentina, Spain, France, and Brazil. As part of the reduction, the operational structure of 19 military zones and three strategic brigades are being distributed, while numerous military zones are eliminated and their area of operations is absorbed by others. The air force operates four air bases; the navy has two port bases. In 2008, the Presidency of the Republic asked Congress for a budget increase to reinforce and add more personnel to the permanent forces to help better combat drug trafficking.

Vehicles for transporting military personnel

Utility vehicles

• Jeep CJ-7.

• F-450 Pickup, used for various functions.

• Toyota Hilux, with modifications that are fully equipped with anti-volque bar, machine guns pedestals, transport benches and armor to the sides.

• Toyota Tacoma, which they call Jaguar vehiclesince they have some modifications such as armor to the sides or transport banks.

• Ford Everest, used for the transport of high-ranking military personnel and also for UN workers in Guatemala.

• Jeep J8. 250 units used by inter-agency task force Tecún Umán and Chortí to combat illegal acts at the borders of the country.

• Side by Side, used by the Mountain Operations Brigade!

• M-462, used for various functions by the Guatemalan Land Army.

Trucks

• REO M35, used for various transportation functions.

• Ural-4320, some with armoured plates on the sides for the protection of infantry.

• Hino Ranger500 series, 338 series, 300 series, dyna), used for various transport functions.

• International Workstar, used for various transport functions and one with the cistern function.

• Truck or trailer used as a mobile kitchen.

• Pinzgauer first generationused for various transport functions.

• Mercedes-Benz L1218R, used for various transportation functions.

Individual Weapons

Guns

• Beretta 92
• M1911
• IMI Jericho

Submachine Guns

• Uzi
• Ingram MAC-10
• Heckler & Koch MP5
• Beretta M12

Rifles

• Indumil Galil Cordova
• Indumil Galil ACE
• IMI Galil
• IMI Tavor
• Fusil M16
• Carabine M4
• M21 SWS
• Heckler " Koch PSG-1
• Barrett M82

Machine Guns

• FN MAG
• Browning M1919
• Browning M2

Artillery

• Bus M101 105 mm (24 pieces)
• Bus M-56 105 mm (26 pieces)
• Mortar M224 60 mm (625 pieces)

Anti-tank systems

• Model 1968 105 mm
• M67 90 mm non-returned cannon
• M40 105 mm non-returned cannon

Anti-Aircraft Guns

• Cannons Bofors 57 mm L/70 A/A
• Guns M1 40 mm L/60
• Missiles Blowpipe SAM

General data

• Military Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force.
• Army Human Resources - Activity: 86,500 soldiers in total
• Army Human Resources - Military Age: 18 years old.
• Army Human Resources - Availability:
  age of men 15-49: 2 102 185 (est. 2005)
• Army Human Resources - They Reach the Military Age Annually:
  men: 147 856 (est. 2005).
• Military expenditures - dollar figures: 121 million US$ (FY99).
• Military expenditures - Percentage of GDP: 0.7 % (FY99).

Military ranks or ranks

The hierarchical scale or rank in the Guatemalan Army includes the following grades: