Guatemala has a complex history, including a 36-year-long civil war that began in 1960 and ended with peace accords in 1996. During the conflict, the government of Guatemala and various leftist rebel groups fought, resulting in the deaths of over 200,000 people, with about 83% of those killed being Mayan. The vast majority of human rights violations perpetrated during the conflict were carried out by state forces and military groups. The conflict was marked by abductions, violence, mutilations, and public dumping of bodies.

Since the end of the civil war, violence and intimidation continue to be a major problem in political and civilian life. Guatemala faces challenges in protecting the rights of migrants, human rights defenders, women and girls, and LGBT people. The collapse of Guatemala’s public hospital system and limited access to mass vaccinations are likely contributing factors to the countrys high number of Covid-19 cases and deaths.

In 1944, a civilian government was elected on a platform of ambitious land reforms, but President Jacobo Arbenz’s reforms soon came into conflict with the interests of powerful multinational corporations. The CIA helped orchestrate a coup d’état in June 1954 and installed a right-wing military dictator, plunging Guatemala into political violence for the next forty years.

Today, Guatemala is led by President Álvaro Colom of the National Unity for Hope. The country has made limited progress in adjudicating major crimes, and challenges persist in searching for and identifying the disappeared during the armed conflict, mainly Indigenous Mayans.