Report on Human Rights Practices Country of Guatemala

Guatemala is a multiparty constitutional republic. On November 6, Otto Perez Molina of the Patriot Party (PP) won the presidential election for a four-year term beginning January 2012. International observers considered the election generally free and fair. During the year security forces reported to civilian authorities, although there were instances in which members of the security forces, particularly the police, acted independently of civilian control. The principal human rights-related problems included widespread institutional corruption, particularly in the police and judicial sectors; police involvement in serious crimes, including unlawful killings, drug trafficking, and extortion; and widespread societal violence, including violence against women and numerous killings, many related to drug trafficking.