2022 Trafficking in Persons Report: Guatemala
Date of Publication
2022 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Human Security
Keywords
Human trafficking, Guatemala, Transnational Organized Crime, Border Security in CENTAM, TOC
Description
The Government of Guatemala does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Guatemala remained on Tier 2. These efforts included prosecuting and convicting more sex and labor traffickers, expanding justice sector presence and educational outreach for underserved communities, referring more victims to public and NGO shelters, and increasing training for frontline officials to identify and assist trafficking victims. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. The government did not provide sufficient specialized victim services given the scope of the problem, and monitoring and oversight in government shelters remained weak. Some criminal justice officials outside urban areas lacked sufficient knowledge of human trafficking elements and indicators or victim-centered methods. The government arrested officials suspected of complicity in trafficking crimes but did not prosecute or convict any complicit officials.
2022 Trafficking in Persons Report: Guatemala
The Government of Guatemala does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Guatemala remained on Tier 2. These efforts included prosecuting and convicting more sex and labor traffickers, expanding justice sector presence and educational outreach for underserved communities, referring more victims to public and NGO shelters, and increasing training for frontline officials to identify and assist trafficking victims. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. The government did not provide sufficient specialized victim services given the scope of the problem, and monitoring and oversight in government shelters remained weak. Some criminal justice officials outside urban areas lacked sufficient knowledge of human trafficking elements and indicators or victim-centered methods. The government arrested officials suspected of complicity in trafficking crimes but did not prosecute or convict any complicit officials.
