Wayzata World Factbook 1994/World Factbook - 1994 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1994).iso/pc/text/txtfiles/guatemal.bkg

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#CARD:Guatemala:Background Notes
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES: GUATEMALA

APRIL 1992
OFFICIAL NAME:  Republic of Guatemala

PROFILE
Geography
Area: 108,780 sq. km. (42,000 sq. mi.); about the size of Tennessee.
Cities: Capital--Guatemala City (pop. 1.9 million). Other major
cities--Quezaltenango (72,000 est.), Escuintla (87,000 est.).  Terrain:
Mountainous, with fertile coastal plain. Climate: Temperate in
highlands; semitropical on coasts.

People
Nationality:  Noun and adjective--Guatemalan(s).  Population (1990
est.): 9 million.  Annual population growth rate: 3%.  Ethnic groups:
Mestizo (mixed Spanish-Indian), Indian.  Religions:  Roman Catholic,
Protestant, traditional Mayan.  Languages:  Spanish, 23 Indian languages
(Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi).  Education: Years compulsory--6.
Attendance--35%. Literacy--52%.  Health: Infant mortality
rate--73/1,000.  Life expectancy--60 yrs., 44 yrs.  (Indian pop.).  Work
force:  Agriculture--36%. Industry and commerce--24%. Services--34%.
Construction, mining, utilities--4%.

Government
Type: Constitutional democratic republic. Independence: September 15,
1821.
Branches: Executive--president. Legislative--Congress.
Judiciary--Supreme Court of Justice (9 members).
Subdivisions:  22 departments and Guatemala City.
Political parties:  Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Union of the
National Center (UCN), National Liberation Movement (MLN), Nationalist
Authentic Central (CAN), Democratic Institutional Party (PID),
Democratic Party of National Cooperation (PDCN), National Renewal Party
(PNR), Revolutionary Party (PR), Social Democratic Party (PSD), National
United Front (FUN), Organized Nationalistic Unity (UNO), Solidarity
Action Movement (MAS), Popular Alliance 5 (AP5), and Emerging Movement
for Harmony (MEC).
Central government budget (1990 est.): $1.1 billion (10% of GDP).
Flag: Blue and white vertical stripes. Centered is a coat of arms with a
green and scarlet quetzal bird perched on a scroll framed by a wreath.

Economy
GDP (1990 est.): $10 billion.  Annual growth rate (1990): 3%. Per capita
GDP: $1,300.
Natural resources: Oil, nickel, timber.
Agriculture (23% of GDP): Products--corn, beans, coffee, cotton, cattle,
sugar, bananas, timber, rice, cardamom.
Manufacturing (13% of GDP): Types--prepared food, textiles, construction
materials, tires, pharmaceuticals.
Trade (19% of 1990 GDP): Exports--$1.1 billion: coffee, cotton, sugar,
meat, cardamom, bananas, petroleum.  Major markets--US 39%, Central
American Common Market (CACM) 25%, Germany 5%, Japan 3%.  Imports--$1.6
billion: fuels and lubricants, industrial machinery, motor vehicles,
iron and steel.  Major markets--US 40%, CACM, and Europe. Major
suppliers--US 39% of imports, CACM, Mexico, Europe, Venezuela, Japan.
Exchange rate (1991): US$1= 5.10 quetzals.
US assistance: Bilateral official development assistance FY 1990:
economic $118 million; military $3.3 million (suspended December 1990).

PEOPLE
 More than half of Guatemala's population are descendants of Maya
Indians. Ladinos--Westernized Mayans and mestizos (Spanish-Indian)--live
in a crescent-shaped area running from the northern border on the
Pacific, along the coastal plains, and up through Guatemala City to the
Caribbean.  Most of Guatemala's population is rural, although
urbanization is accelerating.
 The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism, which many Indians have
superimposed onto their traditional forms of worship. Protestantism and
traditional Mayan religious practices account for an estimated 30% of
the population. Although the official language is Spanish, it is not
universally understood by the Indians.

HISTORY
 The great Mayan civilization flourished throughout much of Guatemala
and surrounding territories before the Spanish conquest. In 1523-24, the
Mayans were defeated by Pedro de Alvarado. Under Spanish colonial rule
the Captaincy-General of Guatemala extended throughout Central America.
The first colonial capital, Ciudad Vieja, was ruined by flood and
earthquake in 1542. Survivors founded Antigua, the second capital, in
1543. In the 17th century, it became one of the richest capitals in the
New World. Always vulnerable to volcanic eruptions, floods, and
earthquakes, it was destroyed by two earthquakes in 1773, but the
remnants of its magnificent Spanish colonial architecture have been
preserved as a national monument. The third capital, Guatemala City, was
founded in 1776, after Antigua was abandoned.
 Since gaining independence from Spain on September 15, 1821, first as
part of the Mexican Empire and then as part of the American Federation,
Guatemala has had a turbulent history. After the federation's
dissolution in 1840, the country passed through a series of
dictatorships broken only by short periods of representative government.
 With the overthrow of Gen. Jorge Ubico's dictatorship in 1944 by the
"October Revolutionaries"--dissident military officers, students, and
liberal professionals--Guatemalans set about modernizing the society.
Social reforms begun under President Juan Jose Arevalo (1945-50) were
continued by his successor, Col. Jacobo Arbenz.
 Col. Arbenz permitted a communist party (Guatemalan Labor Party) to
gain legal status in 1952. By the mid-point of Arbenz's term, communists
controlled key peasant organizations, labor unions, and the governing
political party, holding some key government positions.
 Despite most Guatemalans' attachment to the ideals of the 1944
revolution, with which Arbenz identified his administration, key
segments of society and the military viewed his policies as a menace.
The army refused to defend the government when a group led by Col.
Carlos Castillo Armas invaded the country from Honduras in 1954 and
eventually took over the government.  The assassination of President
Castillo in 1957 precipitated a period of confusion from which Gen.
Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes emerged as president in 1958.
 A 1960 revolt by junior military officers failed, and some of the
participants went into hiding, creating the nucleus of a guerrilla
movement which established close ties with Cuba.  In early 1963, a new
military group, headed by Col. Enrique Peralta Azurdia, restored order.
However, the unconstitutional nature of the regime created disaffection,
played upon by the guerrillas, especially among students. A Constituent
Assembly drafted a new constitution, promulgated in September 1965. The
moderate Revolutionary Party won the presidency by a plurality in the
1966 elections.
 Shortly after President Julio Cesar Mendez Montenegro took office, the
army launched a major counter insurgency campaign that largely broke up
the guerrilla movement in the countryside.  The guerrillas concentrated
their attacks in Guatemala City, where they assassinated many leading
figures, including US Ambassador John Gordon Mein, in 1968. The new
president, Gen. Carlos Arana (1970-74), declared a state of siege, and
an intense anti-terrorist campaign forced terrorist groups to reduce
their activity markedly. Gen. Kjell Laugerud Garcia was declared winner
of the disputed 1974 elections.  During his administration, political
violence decreased, and there was greater freedom of expression.
 Gen. Fernando Romeo Lucas Garcia was inaugurated on July 1, 1978, and
promised to attack vigorously Guatemala's socioeconomic problems;
however, political violence increased.  Three principal left-wing
guerrilla groups--the Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), the
Revolutionary Organization of Armed People (ORPA), and the Rebel Armed
Forces (FAR)--conducted economic sabotage and targeted government
installations and members of government security forces in armed
attacks.  These three organizations have since combined with a fourth
guerrilla organization, the outlawed communist party (PGT), to form the
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG). At the same time,
extreme right-wing groups of self-appointed vigilantes, such as the
Secret Anti-Communist Army (ESA) and the White Hand, tortured and
murdered students, professionals, and peasants, whom they suspected were
involved in leftist activities.  As the March 7, 1982, elections
approached, political violence steadily increased as guerrillas sought
to disrupt the electoral process.
 The winner by plurality was former Defense Minister Gen. Anibal
Guevara. Opposition parties, however, claimed electoral fraud. On the
morning of    March 23, 1982, the National Palace in Guatemala City was
surrounded by army troops commanded by junior officers. The coup leaders
asked Brig. Gen. Efrain Jose Rios Mont to negotiate the departure of
Gen. Lucas. Rios Mont had been the candidate of the Christian Democratic
Party in the 1974 presidential elections and was widely believed to have
lost by fraud.
 Rios Mont headed a junta that canceled the 1965 constitution, dissolved
the Congress, suspended political parties, and canceled the election
law.  On June 9, Rios Mont accepted the resignations of the two other
junta members and assumed the title of President of the Republic.  The
Rios Mont Government imposed a state of siege on July 1, 1982, severely
restricting civil liberties, and created a system of special courts,
which were completely independent of the regular judiciary. Politically,
Rios Mont formed an advisory Council of State to assist him in returning
the nation to democracy.  In 1983, a series of electoral laws was
promulgated, the state of siege was lifted, and political activity was
once again allowed. The Rios Mont Government scheduled Constituent
Assembly elections for July 1, 1984.
 Guerrilla forces denounced the new government and stepped up their
attacks. Rios Mont sought to combat them through military actions and
economic reforms, or, in his words, through "rifles and beans."  The
government also formed civilian defense forces and achieved success in
containing the insurgency. Disturbances occurred within the government
on June 29, leading to the imposition of a state of alarm and a shake-up
of Rios Mont's advisers. Coup rumors continued, and on August 8, 1983,
Rios Mont was deposed by the Guatemalan Army.
 The Minister of Defense, Oscar Humberto Mejia Victores, was proclaimed
head of state on August 8. Gen. Mejia claimed that a group of "religious
fanatics" was abusing their positions in the government and that
corruption had to be weeded out. The Mejia Government quickly abolished
the controversial courts of special jurisdiction. Constituent Assembly
elections were held on July 1, 1984.  On May 30, 1985, after 9 months of
debate, the Constituent Assembly finished drafting a new constitution
which went into effect on January 14, 1986. Chief of State Mejia called
general elections--president, congress, mayor, and city councils--for
November 3, 1985.  A run-off election was held on December 8.  The
Christian Democratic Party of Guatemala (DCG) candidate, Vinicio Cerezo,
won the presidency, receiving almost 70% of the vote. The DCG won 51 of
the 100 seats in the national congress.
 The first 2 years of Cerezo's administration were characterized by a
stable economy and a marked decrease in the level of politically
motivated violence.  The Cerezo Government was able to withstand two
attempted coups (May 1988 and May 1989) that marked the onset of renewed
political and general violence. The Cerezo Administration was heavily
criticized for its lack of willingness to investigate or prosecute cases
of human rights violations. The final 2 years of Cerezo's Government
were also marked by a failing economy, strikes, protest marches, and
allegations of widespread corruption.  The government's inability to
deal with many of the nation's problems--infant mortality, illiteracy,
deficient health and social services, and rising levels of
violence--contributed to a sense of discontent among the population.
 Presidential and congressional elections were held on November 11,
1990, and Jorge Serrano was inaugurated on January 14, 1991. These
elections marked the first transition from one democratically elected
civilian government to another in modern times.
Current Political Situation
In his inaugural speech, Serrano announced an ambitious human rights
program with its centerpiece being an end to immunity from prosecution
for human rights violations. He also made clear his intention to control
the army.  Serrano announced that his government, with the support of
the army, would meet with the guerrillas to negotiate an end to the
30-year-long insurgency.
 Serrano's first 6 months as president saw continuing violence and an
elevated crime rate, but the administration kept its promise and
initiated a series of serious negotiations with the URNG.  Serrano's
Government also prosecuted corrupt government officials and has arrested
the former heads of the national electrical utility and the head of the
national telephone company. The government has also begun to serve
warrants against members of the para-military civil patrols accused of
serious human rights violations, including murder, and has prosecuted
and convicted police officers accused of beating and, in some cases,
murdering street children.

Principal Government Officials
President--Jorge SERRANO Elias
Vice President--Gustavo ESPINA Salguero
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Gonzalo MENENDEZ Park
Ambassador to the US--Juan Jose CASO-FANJUL
Ambassador to the UN--Francisco VILLAGRAN de Leon
Ambassador to the OAS --Vacant

 Guatemala maintains an embassy in the United States at 2220 R Street,
NW, Washington, DC  20008 (tel. [phone]), and consulates in New
York, Miami, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, as well as an honorary
consul in New Orleans.

HUMAN RIGHTS
 Upon its inauguration in January 1986, the new civilian government
announced that ending political violence and establishing the rule of
law would be its top priorities. To that end the President undertook a
reorganization of the police forces and disbanded the Department of
Technical Investigations (DIT), the plain-clothes arm of the National
Police widely acknowledged to have engaged in extortion, robbery, and
political kidnappings and assassinations.  The Supreme court also
embarked on a series of reforms designed to end corruption and improve
the efficiency of the legal system.  New laws of habeas corpus and
"amparo," or court ordered protection, are designed to give citizens
legal recourse when they feel their rights are threatened by the
government.  The Congress, in accordance with the constitution, has
established a legislative human rights committee, and in 1987 approved
the establishment of a Human Rights Ombudsman.
 The number of politically motivated deaths and kidnappings is
substantially lower than in the early 1980s, but important human rights
problems remain, involving the use of force and abuses by political
extremists and some individual and former members of the security
forces.  These problems are aggravated by a legacy of violence,
vigilante justice, and common crime, with which the judiciary and
democratic institutions have thus far developed only limited capacity to
cope.

 In the waning days of the Cerezo administration, the US Government took
several actions to signal official displeasure over the lack of progress
in investigation of several notorious human rights abuse cases.  In
December of 1990, the US suspended military assistance to Guatemala
until the army personnel involved in the June 1990 murder of American
citizen Michael Devine were brought to justice.
 The Serrano Government is on record as being unwilling to tolerate
human rights abuses.  The nomination of a former human rights deputy
ombudsman as Minister of Interior, with responsibility for the police,
and a cabinet-level commission to ensure the prosecution of human rights
cases are hopeful signs that the Serrano Administration is fully
committed to establishing civilian authority over security forces and
instituting broad respect for human rights and the rule of law.

DEFENSE
 The mission of the Guatemalan armed forces is defense against external
threats, internal security, and national development.  The president as
commander in chief acts through his minister of defense.  Day-to-day
operations are run by the chief of staff and the national defense staff.
The Guatemalan army has a total strength of some 43,000, with
subordinate air force (700) and navy (1,300) elements. The army is
operationally organized into 19 military zones and 3 strategic brigades.
The air force operates three air bases, the navy has two.
 When the army divested itself of its governing role through democratic
elections, it rededicated itself to the professionalization of its
forces and combat against the insurgents.  The armed forces are equipped
with armaments and materiel from the United States, Israel, Yugoslavia,
Taiwan, Argentina, Spain, and France.  Guatemala is a signatory to the
Rio Pact and is a member of the Central American Defense Council
(CONDECA).
 Since the early 1960s, the military has been engaged in counter
insurgency operations against Marxist-Leninist guerrillas.  The army has
witnessed considerable progress since 1982 and has reduced the
insurgency to a point that it does not currently threaten national
stability. In March 1990, the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC),
formed under the Esquipulas II process, and the guerrilla umbrella
organization (URNG) met in Oslo, Norway, to negotiate a framework for
achieving a negotiated political settlement to the 30-year internal
conflict. The agreement called for a series of meetings, chaired by the
NRC, between URNG representatives, political parties, business leaders,
Christian and popular groups, and the government. This process was
designed to build a consensus for dialogue within Guatemalan society and
hope for achieving a negotiated solution to one of the world's oldest
continuous insurgencies. Such a solution would greatly contribute to an
improvement in Guatemala's human rights and economic situation.

ECONOMY
 Guatemala's return to civilian democratic rule in 1986 spurred a
reversal of the steep economic decline that had reduced real per capita
income by nearly 20% in the first half of the 1980s. It also marked the
beginning of a trend toward economic diversification and improved
international competitiveness.  These improvements were made possible by
economic policies that promoted financial stability and growth through
exports. These policies have included:  raising taxes and reducing the
fiscal deficit (Guatemala's tax burden is still among the lowest in the
world); restraining growth of domestic credit, especially to the public
sector; eliminating most price controls (only basic staples remain
subject to controls); and unifying the (previously multi-tiered)
exchange rate.  In November 1989, the government completely freed the
exchange rate, after having freed interest rates in August. The changes
in the exchange rate and interest rate systems in particular are
far-reaching reforms that should make the economy more resilient.
Assuming continuing political stability, Guatemala is well-positioned
for rapid economic growth over the next few years.
 Responding to Guatemala's dramatically changed political and economic
policy environment, the international community has mobilized
substantial resources to support the country's economic and social
development objectives.  The United States, in particular, and West
Germany, to a lesser extent, have provided significant amounts of
balance-of-payments assistance.  Together with other donor countries
(especially France, Italy, Spain, and Japan), they have also stepped up
considerably development project financing.  US official assistance to
Guatemala since 1986 totals some $800 million--doubling the total of all
US assistance to Guatemala in the preceding 40 years.
 Guatemala's economy is dominated by the private sector, which generates
nearly 90% of gross domestic product (GDP).  The government's
participation in the productive process is limited largely to public
utilities and several development oriented financial institutions. The
government, however, continues to exercise a significant regulatory
role.  Agriculture is the dominant economic activity, contributing about
a quarter of GDP and accounting for more than 75% of exports. There is
no heavy industry. Most manufacturing is devoted to light assembly and
food processing operations and is still geared mainly toward the
domestic and Central American markets. However, a marked trend toward
diversification, both of products and exports, has emerged since 1986.
In particular, textile and apparel exports to industrialized country
markets (especially the United States) and non-traditional agricultural
exports (NTAE) are booming. (NTAEs are essentially all agricultural
products other than coffee, cotton, sugar, and meat. Some NTAEs already
being exported in significant volume include winter vegetables, fruits,
and cut flowers).  Problems hindering economic growth include illiteracy
and low levels of education among the population, an inadequate capital
market, and infrastructure constraints particularly in the
transportation and economic sectors.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Guatemala's major diplomatic interests are related to regional security
issues and, increasingly, to regional development and economic
integration issues.  Guatemala has been an active participant in the
Contadora and Esquipulas processes.  It recently hosted the June 1990
Central American Economic Summit, attended by the Presidents of El
Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and for the first time,
Panama.
 It also originated the idea of, and has been the strongest advocate
for, a Central American Parliament.
 Its long-standing  claim to Belize caused a dispute with the United
Kingdom.  On September 21, 1981, the UK granted Belize its independence.
In 1986, Guatemala and the UK re-established commercial and consular
relations, and in July 1987, they re-established full diplomatic
relations. Guatemalan President Cerezo and Belizean Prime Minister Price
met twice in 1990 to discuss bilateral relations, and in December 1989
Guatemala sponsored Belize for permanent observer status in the OAS. In
September 1991, Guatemala recognized Belize's independence and
established diplomatic ties.

US-GUATEMALAN RELATIONS
 Relations between the United States and Guatemala traditionally have
been good.  United States policy in Guatemala includes:
 -- Supporting the institutionalization of democracy;
 -- Supporting broad-based economic growth;
 -- Encouraging Guatemalan respect for human rights and the rule of law;
 -- Cooperating with the Guatemalan Government to combat narcotics
trafficking;
 -- Supporting Central American integration and regional peace efforts,
including the dialogue process with the Guatemalan insurgency;
 -- Maintaining mutually beneficial trade relations; and
 -- Supporting a solution of the Belize dispute acceptable to the
parties involved.

Principal US Officials
Ambassador--Thomas F. Stroock
Deputy Chief of Mission--Philip B. Taylor III

 The US Embassy in Guatemala  is at Avenida la Reforma 7-01, Zone 10,
Guatemala City (tel. 31-15-41).

Travel Notes
 Travel advisory: The Department of State recommends that travellers to
Guatemala exercise caution when travelling in certain areas of conflict
or frequent common crime.  Travellers are also advised to register with
the Embassy upon arrival in Guatemala City.
 Clothing:  Spring or summer-weight clothing is needed most of the year;
woolens are practical November through February.
 Customs: Visas are easily obtainable at the Guatemalan Embassy in
Washington, DC and at consulates in six US cities are required for stays
of more than 30 days.  For shorter visits, purchase tourist cards at
ticket counters of airlines serving Guatemala.
 Health:  Good medical services are available in Guatemala City.  There
has been an outbreak of cholera in Guatemala, mainly located in the
western departments that border with Mexico.  Because of altitude,
however, the capital is free of most tropical diseases. There is a risk,
however, of malaria in rural areas, except in the central highlands.
Tap water is not potable, and fruits and vegetables should be prepared
carefully.  Although not required for entry, immunizations against
hepatitis, typhoid, polio, and tetanus are recommended for extended
stays. Travelers should consult a physician for most recent information.

 Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of Public
Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington, DC -- April
1992 -- Editor: Peter A. Knecht.
 Department of State Publication 7798.  Background Notes Series -- This
material is in the public domain and may  be reprinted without
permission; citation of this source is appreciated.  For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC  20402.(###)


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