Guatemalan Politics
 Republic of Guatemala | |
| Organization | |
|---|---|
Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala | |
| Executive Agency | |
President of the Republic | |
| Legislative Agency | |
Congress of the Republic | |
| Judicial Agency | |
Supreme Court of Justice | |
| Political Control Bodies | |
Supreme Electoral Tribunal | |
| Administrative Legal Control Bodies | |
Constitutional Court | |
| Territorial Organization | |
Regions | |
| National Development Council System | |
National Urban and Rural Development Council | |
| General Elections | |
General elections 2007 | |
| Economics and Public Finance | |
Monetary Board | |
| Defence, Civil Security and Diplomacy | |
Guatemalan Army | |
| Social and Cultural Affairs | |
Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social | |
The Republic of Guatemala is a sovereign and independent State of Central America, and is part of the United Nations Organization and the Organization of American States. Politically and legally, Guatemala is governed by the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala, which is the supreme law of the State. The Guatemalan government system is republican, democratic and representative, as established in article 140 of the Constitution.
The sovereignty of Guatemala lies in the people who delegate it, for its exercise, to the State Organisms, as established in article 141 of the Constitution, which are:
- Legislative Agencywhich exercises the legislative power, such power is exercised by the Members of Congress.
- Executive Agencywhich exercises the executive power, such power is exercised by the President of the Republic, the Vice-President of the Republic, the State ministries Guatemala and its units. It is important to emphasize that this body has its own law that regulates everything related to its structure, organization and functioning.
- Judicial Agencywhich exercises the judiciary, such power is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice, Court of Appeal, Courts of First Instance, Courts of Peace or Juvenile Courts and other courts establishing the law. It has its own organic law contained in Decree 2-89 of the Congress of the Republic, Law of the Judicial Agency.
This same article stipulates that subordination between them is prohibited.
History: political conditions
The 1999 presidential and legislative elections were considered free and fair by international observers. The participation of women and indigenous voters was higher than in the recent past, although concerns remained regarding the accessibility of polling places in rural areas.
The landslide victory of Alfonso Portillo combined with a majority of the FRG in the Congress of the Republic suggested the possibility of swift legislative action. However, under the 1985 Guatemalan Constitution, the approval of many types of legislation requires the vote of two-thirds of the total number of deputies in the chamber. That is why the passage of this legislation is not possible solely with the votes of the FRG.
The political balance was upset in 2000 when allegations surfaced that the FRG had illegally altered legislation. Following an investigation, the Supreme Court of Justice stripped those involved, including the President of the Congress of the Republic and head of the FRG José Efraín Ríos Montt, of their legislative immunity so that they will face charges in the case. At about the same time, the PAN opposition suffered an internal rupture and split into various factions; the same thing happened with ANN. As a result, essential reforms for the implementation of peace await legislative action.
New cases of human rights abuses continued to decline, although violent harassment of human rights workers presented a serious challenge to government authority. Common crime, compounded by a legacy of violence, presents another serious challenge. Impunity remains a major problem, mainly because democratic institutions, including those responsible for the administration of justice, have developed only limited capacity to deal with this legacy.
The last elections were held on August 11, 2019, and led to the victory of Dr. Alejandro Giammattei, under the banner of the VAMOS political party.
Congress is dominated mainly by three right-wing political forces (PP, UNE, LIDER), and the participation of the other parties can be considered marginal in number of votes, including the only two left-wing parties. Both Congress and the central government have suffered hard wear in the face of citizens who perceive them as incapable of solving the problems of citizen insecurity, unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition.
Political Constitution of the Republic
The current Constitution of the Republic is the supreme law of the Republic of Guatemala, which governs the whole State and its other laws and collects the fundamental rights of its population. It was created on 31 May 1985 by the National Constituent Assembly of that year, convened by the then de facto President of the Republic of Guatemala, General Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores, following the elections to the National Constituent Assembly held on 1 July 1984. This Magna Charter was effective on 14 January 1986.
It was suspended on 25 May 1993 by the then President of the Republic of Guatemala Jorge Antonio Serrano Elías; re-established on 5 June 1993 an act followed by the overthrow of the President; amended in November 1993. The 1993 constitutional reforms included an increase in the number of Supreme Court Judges from 9 to 13. The periods of office for president, vice president, and deputies of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala were reduced from 5 to 4 years; for the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice from 6 to 5 years, and the periods of mayors and councils from 21/2 to 4 years increased.
The president and vice president are directly elected through universal suffrage and are limited to a period. A vice president may be a presidential candidate after 4 years out of office, since he has not served as president for a longer time than a year. The judges of the Supreme Court of Justice are elected by the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala from among the members of a list sent by the Deans of the Faculty of Law of the Private Universities of the country and the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, the Public University of Guatemala.
Guatemala is administratively divided into 22 departments administered by governors appointed by the president. Guatemala City and 339 other municipalities are governed by mayors or elected councils.Information
| Official name: | Republic of Guatemala |
| Common denomination: | Guatemala |
| Form of Government: | Constitutional Presidential |
| Residence of the Sovereignty: | People |
| State Agency |
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| Capital: | New Guatemala of the Assumption. |
| Administrative Division: |
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State Agency
Executive Body
This body or power is exercised by the President of the Republic of Guatemala, the Vice President of the Republic of Guatemala and the Council of Ministers and by the other public entities corresponding to this body. Its headquarters are located in the National Palace of Culture in zone one of Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción. The President and Vice President of the Republic are elected for a non-renewable period of four years by means of universal and secret suffrage. The President of the Republic is the Commander-in-Chief of the Guatemalan Armed Forces and the Public Forces. The current President of the Republic of Guatemala is Alejandro Giammattei and the Vice President is Guillermo Castillo Reyes.
Legislative Body
This body or power is exercised by the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala, which consists of a hemicycle made up of 160 deputies from the different electoral districts for a four-year management period, being able to be re-elected by universal and secret suffrage. Its primary function is to represent the people, but it is also in charge of enacting, reforming, and repealing laws as appropriate for the benefit of the Guatemalan people. Its ordinary periods or sessions will begin from January 14 to May 15 and from August 1 to November 30 of each year, without the need for a call, and it can also do so in extraordinary meetings when it is of main importance. The current President of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala is Shirley Johanna Rivera Zaldaña. Its headquarters are located in the Palace of Congress of the Republic of Guatemala, on 9 Avenue between 9 and 10 Street in Zone 1 of Nueva Guatemala.
Judicial Branch
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This body is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Guatemala, which is made up of 13 magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic for a five-year management period, with the possibility of being reelected. The function of said body is established in the law, it establishes that the Supreme Court of Justice may administer justice as dictated by the Constitution and other laws. The current President of the Judicial Branch and the Supreme Court of Justice is Silvia Patricia Valdés Quezada. Its headquarters are located in the Palace of Justice in Zone 4 of Nueva Guatemala. Currently, the Judicial Branch heads the Justice System in Guatemala.
The highest court in constitutional matters is the Constitutional Court made up of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitutes, who ensure that the Political Constitution of the Republic is complied with, but is not part of the judicial body as such.
General Elections
On September 6, 2015, there were general elections in Guatemala to elect the new President and Vice President of the Republic, as well as 158 deputies of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala. As none of the candidates obtained more than 51% of the votes, a second round was held on October 25 of the same year.
Presidential Election
The candidates for the Presidency of the Republic of Guatemala obtained the following results:
Results of the presidential elections of September 6 and October 26, 2015
| Presidential Candidates — Parties | 1a Round | 2a Round♪ | ||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| Jimmy Morales — Front of National Convergence (FCN-Nation) | 1.167.030 | 23.85% | 2.750.847 | 67.44% |
| Sandra Torres — National Unity of Hope (UNE) | 1.597.937 | 36.10% | 2.300.979 | 53.74% |
| Manuel Baldizón — Renovated Democratic Freedom (LIDER) | 1.004.215 | 22.68% | 1.981.003 | 46.26% |
| Eduardo Suger — Commitment, Renewal and Order (CREO) | 735.728 | 16.62% | ||
| Mario Estrada — Union of National Change (UCN) | 385.932 | 8.72% | ||
| Harold Caballeros — Vision with Values - Meeting for Guatemala (VIVA-EG) | 276.192 | 6.24% | ||
| Rigoberta Menchú — Broad Front (Winaq-URNG/MAIZ-ANN) | 142.599 | 3.22% | ||
| Juan Guillermo Gutiérrez — National Advanced Party (PAN) | 121.964 | 2.76% | ||
| Patricia de Arzú — Union Party | 96.870 | 2.19% | ||
| Alejandro Giammattei — Center for Social Action (CASA) | 46.655 | 1.05% | ||
| Adela de Torrebiarte — National Development Action (DN) | 18.779 | 0.42% | ||
| Total valid votes | 4.426.871 | 100,00% | 4.281.982 | 100,00% |
| Null vote | 212.814 | 4.24% | 124.934 | 2.80% |
| White votes | 382.379 | 7.61 per cent | 58.202 | 1.30% |
| Total votes cast (electoral participation 1a round: 68.41% / 2a round: 60.83%) | 5.022.064 | 100,00% | 4.465.118 | 100,00% |
| Source: Supreme Electoral Court (*)Preliminary results of the TSE, 01/12/2011, 09:01:51. | ||||
Legislative Election
The results of the deputies elected to occupy the seats in the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala are the following:
Results of the legislative elections of September 11, 2011
| Political Party | Deputies national | Deputies district | Total | ||
| Votes | Scalls | Scalls | Scalls | % | |
| Patriot Party (PP) | 1.160.136 | 9 | 47 | 56 | 35.44% |
| National Unity of Hope - Great National Alliance (UNE-GANA) | 978.325 | 8 | 40 | 48 | 30.38% |
| Union of National Change (CNU) | 416.872 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 8.86% |
| Renewed Democratic Freedom (LIDER) | 381.082 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 8.86% |
| Commitment, Renewal and Order (CREO) | 381.699 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 7.59% |
| Vision with Values-Encounter by Guatemala (VIVA-EG) | 344.719 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3,80% |
| Front Amplio (Guatemala) (WINAQ-URNG-MAIZ-ANN) | 140.775 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1,90% |
| National Advanced Party (PAN) | 135.530 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.27% |
| Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG) | 119.585 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.63% |
| Unionist Party (PU) | 117.486 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.63% |
| Victoria | 71.448 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.63% |
| Centre for Social Action (CASA) | 48.411 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| National Development Action (NNA) | 38. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Front de Convergencia Nacional (FCN) | 23.224 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Valid votes | 4,398,724 | 31 | 127 | 158 | 100,00% |
| Null vote(*) | 337.177 | ||||
| White votes(*) | 351,115 | ||||
| Total votes cast(*) | 5,087,016 | ||||
| Source: Supreme Electoral Court (*)- Preliminary data consulted on 29-09-2011 | |||||
National Symbols
Guatemalan Flag
The Flag of Guatemala is made up of three vertical bands of equal width, light blue, white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered on the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red Quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll inscribed "LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTEMBER DE 1821" (the original date of Independence from Spain), all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of of crossed swords framed by laurels.
Coat of Arms of Guatemala
This emblem was created by Decree No. 33 of November 18, 1871, issued by General Miguel García Granados, according to this decree, «The arms of the republic will be: a shield with two rifles and two linked gold swords with laurel branches on a light blue field. The center will be covered with a scroll, which will contain the following legend in gold letters: Freedom September 15, 1821, a Quetzal will appear at the top, as a symbol of the independence and autonomy of the Nation.»
National bird of Guatemala
The Quetzal is considered a patriotic symbol and the country's national bird. The quetzal has its iridescent green body plumage, with reflections that vary from gold to blue-violet, with a deep crimson red chest and belly. The upper tail coverts are green and very long, hiding the tail, and in males in the nesting season they are longer than the rest of the body. The upper wing coverts are also long and fringe-like. In ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, the quetzal was considered a divine being and its feathers were worn on the plumes of some rulers. The country's currency is called the quetzal in honor of the bird.
National flower of Guatemala
In 1933, Leticia M. de Southerland, president of the international flower exhibition held in Miami Beach, Florida, sent a suggestion to the current government of Guatemala that the exhibited specimen of Lycaste skinneri alba was designated as a national flower. This suggestion was consulted by the then President of the Republic, General Jorge Ubico with several specialists, including Ulises Rojas and Mariano Pacheco H. and entities such as the National Library and the Geography and History Society. The experts took into account the beauty and rarity of this flower and agreed with the suggestion, so on February 11, 1934 the Presidency of the Republic issued a decree giving the Monja Blanca the name of National Flower.
On August 9, 1946, during the government of Juan José Arévalo, in order to protect this species from extinction in Guatemala, a Government Agreement was issued prohibiting the collection and export of this plant. The same agreement was modified on June 4, 1947 to extend the prohibition to bulbs and flowers, as well as to include the rest of the species of this botanical family. In 1997, when 50-cent coins began to be minted, the White Nun appeared as one of the faces of the new coin.
National tree of Guatemala
The Ceiba pentandra is the National Tree of Guatemala and reaches 60 to 70 meters in height, with a thick trunk that can measure more than 3 m in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of its larger branches are densely covered with long, stout spines. The leaves are divided into 5 to 9 smaller leaves, each leaf exceeding 20 cm. Adult trees produce several hundred seed capsules of about 15cm. The pods or capsules contain seeds that are surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fiber, which is a mixture of lignin and cellulose.
National Musical Instrument of Guatemala: The Marimba
On August 31, 1999, Decree 31-99 was approved in Guatemala, which entered into force the following day as stipulated therein. This establishes the marimba as a national symbol.
This decree considers the chromatic marimba as the most genuine representation of the Guatemalan nationality. It also obliges the Guatemalan Ministry of Education to ensure instrument instruction in public and private schools, among other things.
Autonomous, Semi-autonomous and Decentralized State Bodies, Ministries, Secretariats, Entities and Institutions
Constitution
- Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala
Legislative Body
- Congress of the Republic of Guatemala
- President of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala
Executive Body
- President of the Republic of Guatemala
- Vice-President of the Republic of Guatemala
Secretaries of the Presidency of the Republic and other dependencies
- General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic
- Private Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic
- Executive Coordination Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic
- Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic
- State Strategic Intelligence Secretariat
- Secretariat for Planning and Programming of the Presidency of the Republic
- Secretariat for Administrative and Security Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic
- Secretariat for Agricultural Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic
- Secretariat for Peace of the Presidency of the Republic
- Social Welfare Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic
- Presidential Secretariat for Women
- Ministry of Food and Nutrition Security of the Presidency of the Republic
- National Secretariat for Science and Technology
- National Secretariat for Property Management in Domain Extinction
- Executive Secretariat of the Commission against Drug Addiction and Trafficking
- Authority for the Sustainable Management of the Basin and Lake of Amatitlán and its Environment
- Authority for the Sustainable Management of the Basin and Lake Atitlan
- National Council for the Care of Disabled Persons
- Presidential Commission Coordinator of Executive Policy on Human Rights
- Presidential Commission for the Reform, Modernization and Strengthening of the State, and its Decentralized Entities
- Presidential Commission against Discrimination and Racism against Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala
- National Youth Council
- National Civil Service Board
- National Civil Service Office
- Guatemalan Indigenous Development Fund
- National Peace Fund
- Office of the Ombudsman
- Social Investment Fund
State Ministries
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food
- National Geographic Institute
- Central National School of Agriculture (this is an autonomous institution so it does not depend on any State agency. However, it is administratively under the charge of that ministry)
- Institute of Milky Products of Liquidation
- Land Funds
- Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology
- National Forest Institute
- National Agricultural Marketing Institute
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
- Guatemalan System of Protected Areas
- National Council of Protected Areas
- National Conservation Fund
- Authority for the Sustainable Management of the Basin and Lake Izabal
- Authority for the Management and Sustainable Development of the Lake of Petén Itzá Basin
Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing
- General Directorate of Civil Aviation
- Guatemalan Telecommunications Company
- National Institute of Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology
- National Port Company of Champerico
- Guatemalan Railways
- Superintendence of Telecommunications
- National Port Commission
- General Directorate of Roads
- Executing Road Conservation Unit
- General Directorate of Transport
- State Buildings Unit
- General Directorate of Broadcasting and National Television
- Cable Control and Supervision Unit
- General Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs
- Telephony Development Fund
- Popular Housing Development Unit
- General Directorate of Road Safety and Security
- Social Solidarity Fund
- Housing Fund
Ministry of Culture and Sports
- General Archive of Central America
- National Library of Guatemala "Luis Cardoza y Aragón"
- Guatemalan Olympic Committee
- Guatemalan Autonomous Sports Confederation
- National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of Guatemala
- National Council for the Protection of Antigua Guatemala
- Contribution for Cultural Decentralization
Ministry of National Defense
- National Defence Staff
- Armed Forces of Guatemala
- Guatemalan Army
- Kaibil Special Forces
- Guatemalan Navy
- Guatemala Air Force
- Military Provident Institute
- National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction
Ministry of Social Development
- Economic and Social Council
Ministry of Economy
- Monetary Board
- Banco de Guatemala
- Superintendence of Banks
- Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo
- National Statistical Institute
- Commercial Register
- Standing Committee on Exhibitions
- National Finance Corporation
- National Mortgages
- National Cooperative Institute
- Institute for the Promotion of Secured Mortgages
Ministry of Education
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (this is an autonomous institution so it does not depend on any state agency. However, it is administratively under the charge of that ministry)
- Council of Higher Private Education
- Academia de Lengua Mayas de Guatemala
- National Council for the Care of Disabled Persons
- National Literacy Committee
Ministry of Public Finance
- Superintendence of Tax Administration
- Free Zone of Industry and Commerce "Santo Tomás de Castillo"
Ministry of Energy and Mines
- National Electronics Institute
Ministry of the Interior
- Benemeritus Guatemala's Volunteer Fire Corps
- National Civil Police
- Prison system
- National Institute of Forensic Sciences
- Municipal Development Institute
- Human Resources Advisory Office of Municipalities
- Municipal Employee Benefits Plan
- Directorate-General for Migration
- Departmental governorates
- Municipalities (Local Government)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- National Adoptions Council
Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare
- Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social
- Instituto de Recreación de los Trabajadores de la Empresa Privada de Guatemala
- Technical Training and Productivity Institute
- National Institute of Public Administration
Judicial Branch
- Supreme Court of Justice
- Judicial Career Council
- President of the Supreme Court of Justice and Judicial Agency
- National Judicial Analysis and Documentation Centre
- General Administration of the Judicial Agency
- Court of Appeal
- Trial Courts
- Courts of Peace or Juvenile Courts
- Justice System
Political Control Bodies
- Supreme Electoral Tribunal
- Human Rights Procurator
Legal Administrative Control Bodies
- Constitutional Court
- Comptroller General of Accounts
- Public Prosecutor
- Attorney General of the Republic
- Procuraduría General de la Nación
- Instituto de Defensa Público Penal
- General Register of Property
- National Register of Persons
- Register of Catastral Information
- International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (is an international auxiliary body for that judicial system)
- Executive Secretariat for Modernization of the Justice Sector