Research

Conflict and Fragility

Reports and papers

Critical steps in the fight against crime in Guatemala

12 Jan 2012 - 15:31

With a new president, retired general Otto Pérez Molina, taking power in January 2012, the paper examines the huge challenges facing Guatemala as it seeks to fight new waves of criminal violence, reduce one of the world's highest murder rates and save its institutions from corruption. On the basis of a review of the history of Guatemalan and Central American security and justice reforms, the paper highlights the three outstanding issues that must be tackled if any long-lasting reduction in the crime rate is to be achieved: technical sophistication, internal institutional oversight and sustainability. It also explores the prospects and dangers of a more combative, military-led approach from the incoming government, whose head was a leading member of the counter-insurgent campaign of the 1980s.