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On July 12, 2024, the Inter-American Dialogue's Rule of Law Program and Cristosal published a policy brief asserting that President Bernardo Arévalo's government can demonstrate the feasibility of implementing effective and democratic measures to address insecurity in Guatemala. This is the second policy brief in a series on security policies and the rule of law in the region, launched by the Dialogue's Rule of Law Program.
From the review of past policies implemented in Guatemala, several valuable practices emerged that significantly impacted the country's alarming violence levels in the early 2010s. These practices include the coordination and harmonization of the security sector under the Law of the National Security System, the strategic criminal prosecution policy and the model implemented by the Attorney General's Office between 2010 and 2018 with the support of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), the police reform and modernization initiated by the Police Reform Commission in 2009, and the Open Schools program, which extended school hours for recreational, sports, and artistic activities for young people.
The report, based on comprehensive research, interviews and diverse stakeholder input gathered from two closed meetings held in April 2024 in Guatemala City, highlights successful past policies and proposes key elements for an effective and democratic security policy in Guatemala, including:
The intricacy to understand public information related to the fight against drug-trafficking, has resulted in the emergence of a series of myths and fallacies surrounding the violence derived from the so-called “war against drugs.”
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