8/1/2016 Refworld | Freedom in the World 2016 ­ Guatemala Freedom in the World 2016 ­ Guatemala Publisher Freedom House Publication 29 June 2016 Date Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 ­ Guatemala, 29 June 2016, available at: Cite as http://www.refworld.org/docid/577a615011.html [accessed 1 August 2016] This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily Disclaimer endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Freedom Status: Partly Free Aggregate Score: 54 Freedom Rating: 4.0 Political Rights: 4 Civil Liberties: 4 Ratings Change: Guatemala's Political Rights rating declined from 3 to 4 because of the increasing influence of organized crime and business interests in campaign funding, as well as the murder of municipal office candidates and their family members during the campaign. Quick Facts Capital: Guatemala City Population: 16,183,752 GDP/capita: $3,667 Press Freedom Status: Partly Free Net Freedom Status: N/A OVERVIEW Months of protests over a corruption scandal as well as an investigation jointly carried out by Guatemala's Public Ministry and the UN­backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) led to the resignations and arrests of dozens of government and private sector officials, including President Otto Pérez Molina and Vice President Roxana Baldetti Elías. The multiple graft schemes cost Guatemala more than $200 million in lost revenue and resulted in the medical­malpractice deaths of at least 10 patients at state­run hospitals. Alejandro Maldonado was sworn in as vice president in May following Baldetti's resignation that month, and became president when Pérez Molina stepped down in September. In addition to the rampant corruption, Guatemala was plagued by violence and threats against human rights defenders and members of the media, as well as against labor, land, and indigenous rights activists. It was in this context that Guatemalans voted in September and October in national and local elections. The Renewed Democratic Liberty (LIDER) party and National Unity for Hope (UNE) won the most congressional seats, leaving Pérez Molina's Patriotic Party (PP) tied for third place with a new party, Todos. Comedian Jimmy Morales of the National Convergence Front (FCN) took the presidency in the October runoff. POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES Political Rights: 23 / 40 (­1) http://www.refworld.org/cgi­bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=printdoc&docid=577a615011 1/5 8/1/2016 Refworld | Freedom in the World 2016 ­ Guatemala A. Electoral Process: 8 / 12 (­1) The constitution stipulates a four­year presidential term and prohibits reelection. Members of the 158­seat, unicameral Congress of the Republic are elected to four­year terms. In September 2015 legislative elections, LIDER captured 45 seats and UNE won 32 seats. Todos and the scandal­plagued PP each won 18 seats, a drop for the PP of 38 seats from its total in the 2011 elections. Nine other parties took the remaining 45 seats. Morales won a plurality in the concomitant presidential vote and, with 67 percent, defeated former first lady Sandra Torres of the UNE in an October runoff. Turnout was 71 percent for the September vote and 56 percent for the October runoff. The elections were generally judged free and fair. However, as in the past, electoral observers reported irregularities including intimidation, vote buying, and the burning of ballots and electoral boxes. A total of 11 municipal contests had to be repeated in October because of problems with the September votes. Since the beginning of the electoral campaign, an estimated 20 election­related murders occurred, mostly involving mayoral candidates and their relatives. The Public Ministry documented at least 532 arrests and 34 injuries to police officers in connection with the election process. LIDER's presidential candidate, Manuel Baldizón, alleged fraud in the preliminary results of the official vote count that put him in third place in the first round of presidential voting. He then withdrew his candidacy and left the party. In July 2015, the Guatemalan Supreme Court ruled that Zury Ríos Sosa, daughter of former military leader Efraín Ríos Montt, could register as a presidential candidate despite constitutional stipulations barring the relatives of coup leaders or dictators from running for the presidency. Her candidacy had earlier been turned down by the electoral commission. She won under 6 percent of the vote in the September election. A July CICIG report estimated that 50 percent of known campaign donations come from contractors doing business with the state and another 25 percent from organized crime. The CICIG report also found that nearly all political parties spend more money than they report receiving, and that they exceed spending limits. B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 10 / 16 Elections take place within a highly fragmented and fluid multiparty system. A total of 14 candidates vied for the presidency in September and 13 political parties won congressional seats. Newly formed Todos won 18 seats. The government uses the military to maintain internal security, despite restrictions imposed by the 1996 peace accord ending the 36­year civil war. Following his election, Morales took steps to limit the influence of the military in his administration, vowing not to appoint retired officers to the top posts in his cabinet. Although they comprise 44 percent of the population, members of indigenous communities hold just 20 congressional seats. There are no indigenous members in the cabinet. In 2015, 113 out of 333 Guatemalan mayors were indigenous. C. Functioning of Government: 5 / 12 Despite impressive efforts to combat corruption in 2015, serious problems remain. Dozens of current and former high­ranking government officials, lawyers, bureaucrats, and retired military officials were arrested throughout the year as a result of corruption investigations into the country's customs service, social­security agency, health­care system, judiciary, municipal government, and Congress. Baldetti was arrested in August and Pérez Molina was arrested in September for their roles in a massive corruption scandal involving millions of dollars paid in bribes to avoid customs duties. Several members of their administration either were fired or resigned under clouds of suspicion. For example, Pedro Muadi, a former congressional leader, was arrested in October after accusations that he embezzled up to $81,000 in government funds between 2013 and 2014. In October, the mayor of Chinautla was arrested for allegedly stealing municipal funds totaling more than $1 million. As of October, two dozen lawmakers would not be allowed to take office in January 2016 because of either their alleged crimes, or because they were barred by article 164 of the constitution for being government contractors. Guatemala was ranked 123 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index. According to a recent Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) study, http://www.refworld.org/cgi­bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=printdoc&docid=577a615011 2/5 8/1/2016 Refworld | Freedom in the World 2016 ­ Guatemala in 2014 approximately 20 percent of respondents reported that they were victims of corruption. In November, Congress approved reforms aimed at making more transparent the processes for government award and issuing of contracts. Civil Liberties: 31 / 60 D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 12 / 16 While the constitution protects freedom of speech, journalists often face threats and practice self­censorship when covering sensitive topics such as drug trafficking, corruption, organized crime, and human rights violations. Threats come from public officials, drug traffickers, individuals aligned with companies operating in indigenous communities, and local security forces. The Observatory for Journalists of the Center for Informative Reports about Guatemala (CERIGUA) reported that 59 attacks against journalists occurred in the first half of 2015. The government has made commitments to improving journalist protection, but little concrete progress has been made. Mexican businessman Remigio Ángel González owns a monopoly of broadcast television networks in Guatemala and has significant holdings in radio. Newspaper ownership is also concentrated in the hands of business elites, and most papers have centrist or conservative editorial views. While the government is making an effort to improve the country's telecommunications infrastructure, internet access remains limited. The government is believed to conduct illegal online surveillance. The constitution guarantees religious freedom. However, indigenous communities have faced discrimination for openly practicing the Mayan religion. Although the government does not interfere with academic freedom, scholars have received death threats for questioning past human rights abuses or continuing injustices. E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 6 / 12 The constitution guarantees freedom of assembly, though police frequently threaten force and have at times used violence against protesters. Unprecedented, sustained, and largely nonviolent citizen protests against corruption occurred in front of the National Palace in Guatemala City and elsewhere in the country throughout much of the year. In August 2014, more than 1,500 police officers occupied the Q'eqchí communities