Short facts about the government of Guatemala
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional
short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de
Guatemala
local short form:
Guatemala |
| Government
type: |
constitutional democratic
republic |
| Administrative divisions: |
22 departments (departamentos, singular
- departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El
Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten,
Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa,
Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa |
| Independence: |
15 September 1821 (from
Spain) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 15 September
(1821) |
| Constitution: |
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986;
note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993
following ouster of president; amended November
1993 |
| Legal
system: |
civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal (active duty
members of the armed forces may not vote) |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000);
Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of
government: President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January
2000); Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 7 November 1999; runoff held 26 December 1999
(next to be held NA November 2003)
election results: Alfonso
Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera elected president; percent of vote - Alfonso Antonio
PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 68%, Oscar BERGER Perdomo (PAN)
32% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral Congress of the Republic or
Congreso de la Republica (113 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 7 November 1999
(next to be held in November 2003)
election results: percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FRG 63, PAN 37, ANN 9, DCG 2, UD/LOV 1,
PLP 1
note: for the 7 November 1999 election, the number of
congressional seats was increased from 80 to
113 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte
Suprema de Justicia (thirteen members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect
a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the
Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who
are named to five-year terms); Constitutional Court or Corte de
Constitutcionalidad (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms by
Congress, each serving one year as president of the Constitutional Court; one is
elected by Congress, one elected by the Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed
by the President, one elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de
Guatemala, and one by Colegio de Abogados) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Authentic Integral Development or DIA
[Jorge Luis ORTEGA]; Democratic Union or UD [Jose Luis CHEA Urruela]; Green
Party or LOV [Jose ASTURIAS Rudecke]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG
[Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Pablo
MONSANTO, also known as Jorge SOTO]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain
RIOS Montt]; New Nation Alliance or ANN [leader NA], which includes the URNG;
National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas]; Progressive Liberator
Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO;
Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC;
Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial
Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or
GAM |
| International organization participation: |
BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ariel RIVERA Irias
chancery: 2220 R
Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
745-4952
FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
consulate(s)
general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San
Francisco |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Prudence BUSHNELL
embassy: 7-01 Avenida
Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address: APO AA
34024
telephone: [502] 331-1541/55
FAX: [502]
334-8477 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal vertical bands of light
blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the
white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national
bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821
(the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of
crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath | Source: World Factbook |
