Three Challenges Facing Guatemala's COVID-19 Crisis: Mobility, Violence and Governance

ABSTRACT

Guatemala, located at the head of the Northern Triangle of Central America, suffered relatively low levels of contagion compared to more developed Latin American countries. At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, it imposed a series of strict measures, including closing its borders and imposing a curfew and confinement. Nevertheless, given its longstanding problems-violence, endemic poverty, and rampant corruption, among others-the COVID-19 crisis proved catastrophic for Guatemala. Measures deemed necessary to stem the spread of coronavirus, for instance, worsened an economic downturn by impeding commerce and workflow. Although endemic violence decreased in some areas, it increased in others. Finally, poor levels of government transparency and of the citizenry's trust in government took a turn for the worse. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.