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is the Congress of the Republic. Guatemala is divided into 22 departments, similar to states or provinces, which in turn are subdivided into 337 municipalities.
In addition to the criminal code, a civil law system allows for civil cases to be brought before, after, or concurrently with criminal claims. The law stipulates that jurisprudence, or case precedent, is a source of law in addition to the nation’s legal code. The right to own private property is guaranteed by the Guatemalan Constitution, with enforceability of real property transactions guaranteed through deeds registered with local property registry offices.
CHALLENGES REMAIN
Despite improvements, Guatemala still faces many problems. It is one of the poorest countries in Latin America—more than half the population lives below the national poverty line, and half the children under the age of five are chronically malnour- ished. Most of Guatemala’s poor are rural indigenous people
of Maya descent who have a long history of discrimination and exclusion from full economic, political, and social participation.
Though nature graced this “place of many trees” with scenic splendor and a delightful climate, these gifts are balanced by
a long history of natural disasters. For example, the capital city moved due to volcanic mudflows in 1541 and again due to earthquakes in 1773. Located between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the country is a target for hurricanes, such as Hurricane Mitch in 1998; Hurricane Stan in October 2005, which killed more than 1,500 people; and Tropical Storm Ag- atha in late May 2010, which left more than 200 dead. Further, Guatemala’s highlands lie in a geologically active area that boasts four active volcanoes: Pacaya, Santiaguito, Fuego, and Tacaná. Fuego and Pacaya both erupted in 2010.
UNSETTLING SECURITY, CORRUPTION
In the post-war period, Guatemala continues to be plagued by security issues related to narcotics trafficking, the rise of orga- nized crime, social inequality, and poverty. The nation scored
32 points out of 100 on Transparency International’s 2014 Cor- ruption Perception Index. On this index, a lower number means higher perceived corruption, and Guatemala’s rank places it among the lowest third on the list (115 among 175 countries). Similarly, on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitive- ness Index, the nation ranked at the bottom due to organized crime and business costs associated with crime and violence, which amount to a staggering 7.7 percent of GDP.
Due to the country’s geographic proximity to Mexico and land routes to the United States, Guatemala is a transit country
for the trafficking of humans, drugs, arms, and contraband. Additionally, youth gangs have grown and are responsible for
a large share of violent crime in urban areas. Homicide rates have remained above 34 per 100,000 for the past decade and 33 percent of households (43 percent in urban areas) were victims of crime in 2012. Surveys report that more than 60 percent of Guatemalans believe insecurity is the most significant problem facing the country.
YET PROGRESS CONTINUES
The past 35 years have revealed a steady uptrend of longer lifespans, more education, and higher incomes for Guatema- lans, according to the United Nations Human Development Report 2014. The UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three ba- sic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. On this scale, Guatemala has climbed from .445 to .628—a 41 percent
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