The political framework of Guatemala

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024)
Vice President: Karin HERRERA (since 15 January 2024)

Next Election Dates

Presidential and parliamentary: June 2027

Main Political Parties

Guatemala has a multi-party system, though several larger parties typically dominate politics. The main political parties include:

- Movimento Semilla: centre-left, progressivist, social-democratic
- Vamos: right-wing, conservative, liberal
- National Unity of Hope Party (UNE): centre-left, Christian, nationalist
- WINAQ-Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (WINAQ-URNG): left-wing
- Valor: right-wing, conservative, populist
- Cabal: liberal, centre
- Vision With Values (ViVa): right-wing, Christian
- Todos: centre-right

Other parties include:

- Partido Patriota Nacional (PPN)
- Todos
- Voluntad, Oportunidad y Solidaridad (VOS)
- Bienestar Nacional (BIEN)
- Compromiso, Renovación y Orden (CREO)
- Victoria (VICTORIA)
- Partido Unionista (UNIONISTA)
- Partido Convergencia (ELEFANTE)
- Movimiento Cambio (Cambio)
- Gran Alianza Nacional (AZUL).

Executive Power

The President is both the Chief of State and Head of Government. He/she is elected by popular vote for a single term of four years. He/she holds the executive powers, which include implementing the law and running the day-to-day affairs. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the President.

Legislative Power

The Guatemalan legislative power is unicameral. Parliament, known as the Congress of the Republic, has 160 members who are elected by popular vote for a term of four years (128 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies in the country's 22 departments and 32 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote). The country's constitution provides for the separation of executive, legislative, and judiciary powers. Even though the president cannot dissolve parliament, he/she has the power to veto acts of parliament which, in turn, can be overridden by a legislative supermajority.