IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1186 

Recognizing the indispensable role of the Indigenous people of Guatemala 

in ensuring a democratic transition following the 2023 general election 

in the face of judicial corruption, political exclusion, and historic 

marginalization, and urging the Government of Guatemala to follow 

through on its commitments to represent and equitably serve all Guatemalans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2024 

Mrs. RAMIREZ (for herself, Mr. CASAR, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. NORTON, 

Ms. TLAIB, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Mr. GARCI ́A of 

Illinois, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Ms. ESCOBAR) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the indispensable role of the Indigenous people 

of Guatemala in ensuring a democratic transition following the 2023 general election in the face of judicial 

corruption, political exclusion, and historic 

marginalization, and urging the Government of Guatemala to follow through on its commitments to represent 

and equitably serve all Guatemalans. 

Whereas Indigenous people in Guatemala comprise nearly 44 

percent of the country’s population, according to the 

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America 


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and the Caribbean, and encompass 24 ethnic groups, including the Maya, Garifuna, and Xinka peoples; 

Whereas, during Guatemala’s brutal 36-year civil war, the 

military dictatorships intentionally targeted the Indigenous population, with Mayans accounting for 83 percent 

of the approximately 200,000 citizens killed during the 

war, according to the Commission for Historical Clarification, and stole Indigenous communities’ land and resources; 

Whereas the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala recognizes the rights of Indigenous peoples and defines Guatemala as a multicultural society, and the Government has recognized Indigenous groups’ rights in the 

Peace Agreements that ended the civil war and ratified 

international agreements on the rights of Indigenous peoples; 

Whereas, despite these formal recognitions, a history of intentional underinvestment, systemic discrimination, and exclusion has led to stark social, health, educational, economic, and political disparities between Indigenous and 

non-Indigenous Guatemalans, with inequities even worse 

for Indigenous women; 

Whereas large inequities continue to exist between Indigenous 

and non-Indigenous Guatemalans, including the Guatemalan Government investing 0.4 USD per day in each 

Indigenous person compared to 0.9 USD per day in each 

non-Indigenous person, poverty affecting 75 percent of 

Indigenous people compared to 36 percent of non-Indigenous people, chronic malnutrition affecting 58 percent of 

Indigenous people compared to 38 percent of non-Indigenous people, and Indigenous people comprising less than 

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cording to the International Work Group for Indigenous 

Affairs; 

Whereas the Guatemalan state is not in compliance with its 

own international and domestic obligations for receiving 

‘‘prior, informed consent’’ of affected populations on matters involving projects and investments in Indigenous territories; 

Whereas the ongoing struggle to survive has led many Indigenous people to consider irregular migration as an alternative, resulting in the high percentage of unaccompanied 

Guatemalan children and migrants in the United States 

who identify as Indigenous; 

Whereas in the face of persistent inequity and mistreatment, 

Guatemala’s Indigenous communities have shown remarkable resilience, strength, and resolve to create better 

conditions and a more promising future; 

Whereas, despite the Government and private sector’s neglect, underinvestment, and discrimination against Guatemala’s Indigenous peoples and their organizations, Indigenous communities have a long history of advocating 

for their rights and justice by mobilizing against government corruption and the rollback of human rights, fighting to defend Indigenous lands, resources, and territories 

at the risk of being arrested for doing so, and lodging 

complaints about the exclusion of Indigenous people from 

COVID–19 treatment; 

Whereas this powerful legacy of activism was pivotal in defending democracy in Guatemala during the 2023 Presidential elections and transfer of power; 

Whereas general elections were held in Guatemala on June 

25, 2023, resulting in a runoff election between the two 


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Presidential candidates receiving the most votes, thenCongressman Bernardo Are ́valo of the Movimiento 

Semilla party (Semilla) and Sandra Torres, a former 

First Lady representing the Unidad Nacional de la 

Esperanza Party; 

Whereas the runoff election, held on August 20, 2023, resulted in the people of Guatemala electing Are ́valo as 

President with more than 60 percent of the popular vote; 

Whereas the election observation teams from the European 

Union and the Organization of American States, which 

were present at the invitation of the Government of Guatemala, reported that both rounds of the election were 

run professionally and efficiently and concluded that 

there was no basis for claims of fraud; 

Whereas Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal certified 

that the Presidential elections upheld national, regional, 

and international standards for a democratic election; 

Whereas, immediately following the election of Are ́valo on 

August 20, 2023, Guatemala’s Public Ministry, led by 

Attorney General Marı ́a Consuelo Porras Argueta, who is 

backed by the Constitutional Court and sanctioned by the 

United States Government for significant corrupt and 

undemocratic activities in abuse of her powers, initiated 

a series of efforts to overturn the electoral results and 

undermine President-elect Are ́valo’s inauguration; 

Whereas the Guatemalan judicial system, particularly under 

Attorney General Porras, has engaged in the spurious 

and widespread prosecution of Indigenous advocates and 

authorities, such as those fighting against illegal and destructive resource extraction projects on Indigenous 


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lands, amongst others fighting for reform and human 

rights; 

Whereas Indigenous leaders bravely stood up for their country by issuing legal challenges against the Public Ministry’s actions and contributing to marches despite increasingly arbitrary attacks by prosecutors seeking to derail the transition of power; 

Whereas these attacks motivated Mayan, Xinka, and 

Garifuna organizations to spearhead massive nationwide 

protests beginning in October 2023 that also mobilized 

Ladino organizations; 

Whereas these widespread demonstrations garnered global attention and pressure to adhere to the election results and 

intensified domestic calls for government reforms; 

Whereas Indigenous leaders were committed to sustaining nationwide protests until arbitrary attempts to delegitimize 

the transition of power were halted; 

Whereas following 106 days of protests, President-elect 

Are ́valo was inaugurated as the next President of Guatemala just after midnight on January 15, 2024, after 

nearly 10 hours of delays by some Members of Guatemala’s Congress; 

Whereas President Are ́valo has committed to upholding Indigenous rights and respecting Indigenous cultures and 

communities and became the first Guatemalan President 

to participate in a public Mayan ceremony following his 

inauguration, and has recognized their leadership in defense of Guatemala’s democracy; 

Whereas the Are ́valo administration has made progress in advancing dialogue with Indigenous authorities, including 

Mayan Ixil and Achi leaders, to take joint measures to 


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overcome the legacy of discrimination, marginalization, 

and violence directed against Indigenous communities; 

and 

Whereas President Are ́valo’s cabinet includes only one Mayan 

woman, Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Miriam 

Roquel Cha ́vez, and he has promised to appoint more Indigenous leaders to vice ministries and other positions of 

authority in his administration to better reflect the diversity of the Guatemalan people: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) stands with the people of Guatemala in 

3 their fight against corruption and for democratic 

4 governance, justice, and a better future; 

5 (2) commends the efforts of Guatemala’s Indig6 enous people to uphold democratic processes and at7 tain equitable outcomes for their communities; 

8 (3) underscores the need for the Are ́valo admin9 istration and future governments, including the Con10 stitutional Court and Public Prosecutor’s Office, to 

11 protect, represent the will of, and serve the interests 

12 of all Guatemalans; and 

13 (4) urges the President of the United States, 

14 the Secretary of State, and the Administrator of the 

15 United States Agency for International Development 

16 to— 

17 (A) encourage the Guatemalan Govern18 ment to meet its commitments to be more 


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1 transparent, accountable, and responsive to the 

2 Guatemalan people, including to its Indigenous 

3 communities; 

4 (B) monitor the actions of private sector 

5 entities in Guatemala that have had deep ties to 

6 corruption, violence, and organized crime; 

7 (C) support the Guatemalan Government’s 

8 efforts to build a more secure, democratic, and 

9 prosperous country and to expand opportunities 

10 for all Guatemalans to live safe, fulfilled lives; 

11 (D) increase engagement with and support 

12 for communities in Guatemala on the front 

13 lines of defending human rights and democracy 

14 for all to ensure their voices and recommenda15 tions steer and inform any United States deci16 sion or action related to Guatemala; and 

17 (E) use the vote and voice of the United 

18 States Government in multilateral institutions 

19 to which the United States is a party and that 

20 operate in Guatemala to comply with the rights 

21 of affected populations to ‘‘prior, informed con22 sent’’ for all lending operations, and all Guate23 malan laws by ensuring within their operations 

24 the protection of the rights of Indigenous peo25 ple, rights that are reflected in Guatemala’s PoVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:09 May 01, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1186.IH HR1186

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1 litical Constitution and international human 

2 rights treaties. 

Æ 


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