Guatemala: Failed Response to Sexual Violence Against Girls

Inadequate Health Care, Education, Social Security, Justice for Young Survivors

Human Rights Watch
February 18, 2025

(Guatemala City) – Successive governments in Guatemala have failed to meet their obligations toward girls facing early and forced pregnancies due to sexual violence, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The authorities need to provide sexual violence survivors with comprehensive health care, education, and social security, as well as necessary legal protections, justice and reparations.

The 85-page report, “‘Forced to Give Up on Their Dreams’: Sexual Violence against Girls in Guatemala,” documents the numerous barriers that girls who are survivors of sexual violence face accessing essential health care, education, social security, and justice. Guatemalan law classifies any sexual activity involving a child under 14 as sexual violence. Guatemala’s National Registry of Persons (RENAP) reported that between 2018 and 2024, 14,696 girls under 14 gave birth and became mothers, in many cases against their will.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/18/guatemala-failed-response-sexual-violence-against-girls

18.02.2025

Commentary

Cristina Quijano Carrasco

forced pregnancies

Forced to Give Up on Their Dreams’: Sexual Violence against Girls in Guatemala

Human Rights Watch

sexual violence

sexual violence survivors

Guatemala – Hidden in plain sight: The lobby group restricting rights in Latin America

Founded by members of shadowy Catholic organisation Opus Dei, the AFI has become one of Guatemala’s most influential groups

26 November 2024
OpenDemocracy

In the first half of this year, seven girls aged between 10 and 14 gave birth in Guatemala every single day.

Guatemalan law states that these 1,298 girls are the victims of sexual violence. Medical professionals say their pregnancies pose a high risk to their physical and mental health. But the Asociación la Familia Importa (AFI), Guatemala’s most influential anti-abortion organisation, has focused on preventing such girls from having abortions at any cost – and it is succeeding.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/afi-guatemala-opus-dei-anti-abortion-restrict-rights-latin-america/

26.11.2024

American Convention on Human Rights

anti-choice misinformation

anti-choice misogyny

anti-choice terrorism

anti-choice violence

Asociación la Familia Importa

Beatriz abortion

Bernardo Arévalo

Catholic Church

César Brañas Castillo

comprehensive sexuality education

Elvira Estradé

Enlace

Family Matters Association

Family Research Council

Geneva Consensus Declaration

Guatemala Leaks

Heritage Foundation

Human Life international

Humberto Grazioso

Jordán Rodas

Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

Ligia Briz

Mayra Figueroa de Poggio

Mirna Cardona de González

Mirna Montenegro

Opus Dei

OSAR

Parliamentary Front for Life and Family

Brazil’s Conservative Legislative Branch Looks to Further Outlaw Abortion

New proposed law echoes other anti-abortion legislation in the region.

BY JEFF ABBOTT
JUNE 21, 2024

Religiously inspired political leaders in Brazil have fast-tracked a regressive anti-abortion law in the South American country’s conservative controlled congress.

The law seeks to further criminalize abortions in Brazil, equating abortions after twenty-two weeks with homicide. This would apply in cases where the pregnant person was a victim of rape as well and could result in prison sentences of six to twenty years in prison. The proposed law is a rollback of decades-old protections in Brazil and would result in longer prison sentences than are currently given to people convicted of rape.

Continued: https://progressive.org/latest/brazil%E2%80%99s-conservative-legislative-branch-abbott-20240621/

Project 2025 Is Already Here

Core aspects of the far-right plan to overhaul U.S. government are already being put into place, through an anti-abortion influence campaign overseas.

GILLIAN KANE
APRIL 25, 2024

When pundits, critics and supporters discuss Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s readiness work plan for a second Donald Trump presidency, it’s always in the future tense. At more than 900 pages, Project 2025’s playbook, Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, is a door-stopper of policy recommendations that lays out detailed steps for decimating democracy in the first 180 days of the new administration. Some executive orders include eliminating the Department of Education (“a woke education cartel”), renaming the Department of Health and Human Services the “Department of Life,” and anchoring these commitments in the promise to restore “the family as the centerpiece of American life.”

This Christian nationalist plan is no fever dream: even if Trump loses in November, many core aspects of Project 2025 will still be implemented. In fact, some of its recommendations are already underway.

Continued: https://inthesetimes.com/article/project-2025-protego-trump-huber-abortion

Guatemalan presidential candidate Sandra Torres leans on conservative values, opposing gay marriage

Over the past decade, Guatemalan presidential candidate Sandra Torres has been drifting rightward on the political spectrum as she repeatedly has tried to win the presidency

By SONIA PÉREZ D. Associated Press
August 12, 2023

SAN JUAN SACATEPEQUEZ, Guatemala -- Over the past decade, Guatemalan presidential candidate Sandra Torres has been drifting rightward on the political spectrum as she repeatedly has tried to win the presidency.

Now, in her third bid, the former first lady has drafted an evangelical pastor as her running mate and is leaning heavily on her firm commitments to keeping abortion and same-sex marriage illegal in Guatemala.

Continued: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/guatemalan-presidential-candidate-sandra-torres-leans-conservative-values-102218737

12.08.2023

Guatemala congress shelves abortion law passed previous week

Guatemala’s Congress has voted to shelve a controversial law stiffening penalties for abortion, prohibiting same-sex marriage and banning discussion of sexual diversity in schools

By The Associated Press
15 March 2022

GUATEMALA CITY -- Guatemala’s Congress voted Tuesday to shelve a controversial law stiffening penalties for abortion, prohibiting same-sex marriage and banning discussion of sexual diversity in schools, acting a week after it passed by a wide margin.

The reversal came after President Alejandro Giammattei threatened a veto because elements of the legislation were considered unconstitutional and in violation of international treaties that Guatemala has signed.

Continued: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/guatemala-congress-shelves-abortion-law-passed-previous-week-83470946

15.03.2022

Featured

News

Alejandro Giammattei

anti-choice restrictions

Protection of Life and Family

punishing women for abortion

‘I don’t feel safe’: Guatemalans denounce anti-abortion law

Women’s rights advocates and LGBTQ community members say contentious legislation puts them at ‘high risk’.

By Jeff Abbott
Published On 14 Mar 2022

Guatemala City, Guatemala – With chants of “this pro-life government doesn’t value our lives”, hundreds of people during the weekend converged on the Guatemalan Congress to show their indignation at a new law they say threatens the rights of women and members of the LGBTQ community.

On March 8, while hundreds were commemorating International Women’s Day, Guatemala’s conservative-controlled Congress approved the “Protection of Life and Family” law in a 101-8 vote. There are 160 seats in Congress.

Continued: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/14/i-dont-feel-safe-guatemalans-denounce-anti-abortion-law

Guatemala president vows to veto abortion, same-sex marriage bill

March 10, 2022
By Sofia Menchu

GUATEMALA CITY, March 10 (Reuters) - Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said on Thursday he would veto a bill that seeks to increase abortion penalties to up to 25 years in prison and prohibit same-sex marriage, calling it unconstitutional and in violation of international conventions.

The bill, revived by the conservative Viva Party after being put on ice in 2018, was passed late Tuesday by lawmakers from different parties, including some allies of Giammattei.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/guatemala-president-vows-veto-abortion-same-sex-marriage-bill-2022-03-11/

10.03.2022

anti-choice restrictions

Guatemala increases abortion penalty, bans same-sex marriage

While some countries in Latin America have expanded abortion access, Guatemala increased prison sentences for women who have abortions.

March 10, 2022
By Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan lawmakers have increased prison sentences for women who have abortions, bucking a recent trend in Latin America toward expanding access to the procedures.

As some of Latin America’s largest countries — Mexico, Argentina, Colombia — have expanded abortion access in the past two years, there remain countries where conservative religious trends continue to hold sway.

Continued: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/guatemala-increases-abortion-penalty-bans-sex-marriage-rcna19496

Guatemala Congress bans same-sex marriage

Published Mar 9, 2022

Guatemala's Congress has voted in favour of a law which prohibits same-sex marriage. The law will also prohibit the teaching of sexual diversity in schools and raise the prison sentences for women seeking abortion.

Abortion is banned in Guatemala except in cases where the woman's life is at risk.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-60675472