Why real change & reform are so difficult in Guatemala

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Real change and reform in the global order, and specifically in Central America where we work, is not a quick process. At times it can be next to impossible, yet each small step and effort is invaluable in the long term. 

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Why real change and reform are so difficult in Guatemala

Recently, many folks have reached out with questions about the on-going difficult situation in Guatemala. Honduras faces similar challenges, playing themselves out slightly differently.

To understand why little is changing in Guatemala, one needs to understand who the traditional elites are, and with whom they maintain their relationships of wealth and power. The traditional elites are those sectors of the country that benefit from and work always to maintain the status quo of inequality of power and wealth: wealthy economic sectors and landowning barons (CACIF et al.); congress, judiciary and executive branches of government; military and police; mainstream media. Over the past 20-30 years, narco-traffickers have grown to be a power/wealth sector of their own. Narcos are not, however, a separate sector but often intertwined and interspersed with the traditional elites.

The wealth and power of the traditional elites derive from their economic, military and political relations inside Guatemala, and with the so-called “international community” – primarily the U.S.-led West (governments and militaries, investors and business), and the World Bank and IDB.

"Yes there was genocide"

Elections, but no democracy, no change

The electoral system has been used for generations by the traditional elites to rubber stamp an appearance of democracy making their economic and military relations legitimizable with the U.S.-led West, while keeping in place the status quo they benefit from.

When Bernado Arevalo assumed the presidency in January 2024, after a sustained public protest movement in 2023, his government took control of the executive branch. In reality, they control a tiny percentage of authority, control and power. The other sectors of the traditional elites retain a majority of power, control and authority. Any movement for real change (desperately needed judicial cleansing and reform, economic and land reforms, etc.) are easily blocked.

Today, the U.S.-led West maintains their ‘same old, same old’ military, economic and political relations with the traditional elites. Life is ‘business-as-usual’ as the traditional elites work to contain a somewhat progressive executive branch, while aiming 4 years down the road to take control again of the executive branch.

Thus, the challenge of bringing about serious reform and change in Guatemala is fundamentally a local-to-global challenge – not a national challenge. As Guatemalans work today for real change in the context set out here, it remains imperative that we in the U.S., Canada and the global north continue to work for real change in the policies and actions of our governments, militaries, companies, banks and investors that so often contribute to and benefit from the very ills that the characterize the lives of a majority of Guatemala’s population.

Help us continue supporting grassroots efforts in Guatemala & Honduras.