Weekly Report - 20 February 2020 (WR-20-07)

A month into his term, Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei is facing one of his first tests vis-à-vis human rights. Last week congress approved reforms to a law governing NGOs which local and international human rights groups warn would significantly limit the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society in general. With concerns already rife regarding the situation facing HRDs in the country, the outcry over the so-called ‘Ley 5257’ comes as Giammattei’s willingness to dispense with civil liberties is evident in other areas, such as fighting crime.