Guatemala: Politics and Governance

Guatemala is a unitary presidential republic in which the president serves as both head of state and head of government, elected by popular vote to a single four-year term with no possibility of reelection. The unicameral Congress of the Republic holds legislative power, while an independent judiciary, headed by the Supreme Court of Justice and a separate Constitutional Court, oversees legal and constitutional matters. The country is divided into 22 departments for administrative purposes.

Guatemala's contemporary political life reflects the ongoing work of consolidating democratic institutions since the 1996 peace accords ended decades of internal armed conflict. Elections are contested by a range of political parties, and recent years have seen vigorous public debate over judicial independence, corruption, and the strengthening of the rule of law, alongside continued civic engagement in shaping the country's institutional development.