From Inherited Peace to Promised Democracy: Lessons from Guatemala’s 2023 Democratic Transition

Key points

• Resilience as a driver of social and political transformation: In 2023, collective mobilisation in Guatemala successfully reversed an attempted judicial coup orchestrated by a political-criminal elite. This demonstrated how a society’s resilient capacities can transform entrenched power structures rooted in exclusion and injustice, preventing violence and building lasting peace through peaceful and sustainable action.
• Historical legacy as an ethical, institutional and organisational foundation for the defence of democracy: The 1985 democratisation process, the 1996 Peace Accords, the pursuit of justice for historical human rights violations and the anti-corruption movement collectively empowered Guatemalan citizens to resist authoritarian regression. These milestones illustrate how cumulative democratic gains can be reactivated to safeguard the popular will and drive long-term structural transformation.
• The prominence of historically marginalised voices in redefining national politics: The leadership of Indigenous authorities and the active participation of Guatemalan youth in the 2023 mobilisations and electoral process underscored these groups’ agency, organisational capacity, and political acumen. Their community-based, intergenerational approach linked long-standing struggles against exclusion with contemporary demands for transparency and democracy, illustrating how inclusion reinforces the legitimacy and sustainability of positive social change.
• The strategic role of the international community in supporting local resilience: Coordinated actions by the international community amplified domestic resistance without undermining the agency of the social movement and Guatemalan sovereignty. This response highlighted the importance of multilevel coordination to consolidate democratic progress in response to authoritarian threats.
• Dialogue as a cornerstone for building trust and sustainable peace: The dialogue-driven approach helped to de-escalate the 2023 crisis and transformed the defence of democracy into an opportunity for structural change.