{
  "id": "RL32124",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32124",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 104160,
      "date": "2004-08-12",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T20:10:32.367129",
      "title": "Guatemala: Political Conditions, Elections, and Human Rights",
      "summary": "Since the 1980s, Guatemala has been consolidating its transition from a centuries-long tradition\nof\nmostly autocratic rule toward representative government. A democratic constitution was adopted\nin 1985, and a democratically-elected government was inaugurated in 1986. Democratic institutions\nremain fragile. A 36-year civil war ended in 1996 with the signing of the Peace Accords between\nthe government and the left-wing guerrilla movement. The accords not only ended the civil conflict,\nbut constituted a blueprint for profound political, economic, and social change to address the\nconflict's root causes. They outline a profound restructuring of state institutions, with the goals of\nending government security forces' impunity from prosecution, consolidating the rule of law;\nshifting government funding away from the military and into health, education, and other basic\nservices to reach the rural and indigenous poor; and the full participation of the indigenous\npopulation in local and national decision making processes. From1997-2003, U.S. assistance to\nGuatemala focused on support of the peace process. Aid has declined from about $60 million in\nFY2002 to $38 million requested for FY2005. In the conference report for the FY2004 omnibus\nappropriations bill ( H.Rept. 108-401 ), Congress criticized the Administration's strategy of reducing\nstaffing and funding for Guatemala. Current conditions on aid are in  P.L. 108-199 ; proposed\nlegislation related to Guatemala includes  H.R. 1300 ;  H.R. 2534 ; and\n S.Res. 289 . \n  Former Guatemala City mayor Oscar Berger of the center-right coalition Great National\nAlliance was elected president with 54% of the vote and inaugurated on January 14, 2004, for a\nfour-year term. Since taking office, he has pursued corruption charges against his predecessor,\nAlfonso Portillo, of the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), and other former FRG officials. \nBerger has also proposed military reforms including cutting troops by a third, slashing defense\nspending, and modernizing defense policy. His proposed economic reforms include new income tax\nrates and a temporary tax to fund programs related to the peace process.\n  Despite his decisive loss in the first round presidential elections, retired General Efrain Rios\nMontt remains a divisive force. Berger's top defense official, General Otto Perez, resigned in May\nto protest negotiations between Berger officials and the FRG, of which Rios Montt is still leader. \nRios Montt was military dictator from 1982-1983, while the army carried out a counter-insurgency\ncampaign resulting in what is now characterized as genocide of the Mayan population. \n  Regarding respect for human rights, Guatemala has made enormous strides, but significant\nproblems remain. The armed conflict is definitively ended, and the state policy of human rights\nabuses has been ended. On the other hand, strengthening of civilian power over military forces is\nslow, and security forces reportedly continue to commit gross violations of human rights with\nimpunity. The U.N., the OAS, and the United States have all expressed concern that human rights\nviolations have increased over the past several years, and that past Guatemalan governments have\ntaken insufficient steps to curb them or to implement the Peace Accords. This report may be updated\nas events warrant.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
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  "topics": [
    "Appropriations",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Intelligence and National Security"
  ]
}