Guatemala

A Central American country situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala borders Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Its recent history is plagued by a succession of military coups and a brutal civil war that lasted 36 years until 1996. With the subsequent transition to democracy, Guatemala has taken steps towards addressing historic human rights abuses, most notably placing its former president on trial on genocide charges. Other enduring human rights issues include discrimination against indigenous and minority groups and extrajudicial executions of children which largely remain in impunity.