Stories from Guatemala

Guatemala will experience a natural phenomenon known as 'day without shadow' at midday. During this event, objects will lose their shadows for several minutes. The report invites residents to observe the activity.

The Ministry of Public Finance will pay a 1,000 quetzal increase to military retirees, pensioners, and disability pensioners during the first half of May. This change aims to adjust the deduction threshold, which was previously around 48,000 quetzales, to a higher figure. The specific new total deduction amount is expected to be slightly more than 3,000 quetzales per month based on the minimum wage increase. The adjustment aims to prevent tax liabilities if the minimum wage increases by amounts such as 100 quetzales per month. The proposed changes could impact between 1.6 million and 1.8 million individuals across the public and private sectors. Specifically, some figures mentioned include potential adjustments involving 41,000 to 52,000 quetzales and a 1,200 quetzal deduction. The impact would apply to all those subject to income tax withholding.

President Bernardo Arevalo signed a territorial work agenda with authorities from 19 villages in Santa María Chiquimula, Totonicapán. The document consists of a series of commitments developed by local authorities and the central government.

Guatemalan authorities approved economic recognition for boxers Lester Martínez and Joshua Anton following their international competition titles on March 21. Martínez is set to receive 500,000 quetzales.

The university's IT core, which protects institutional databases, was targeted in a cyberattack. Officials stated there is no evidence of structured,, or systematic access to sensitive member data.

President Bernardo Arevalo is scheduled to conduct interviews for the selection of the Public Ministry head for the 2026-2030 term. Officials present during the proceedings included Governor Marco Antonio Villeda and the Secretary General of the Presidency, Juan Gerardo Guerrero. The event follows images released by the Executive branch. The challenge claims the Commission Postuladora did not guarantee compliance with constitutional requirements established in Article 216 of the Guatemalan Constitution. Aldana specifically questioned the grading scale used by the commission, which assigned up to 50 points for professional experience. The petitioner claims this weighting unfairly benefits applicants currently working within the Public Ministry or the Institute of Public Defense.

Juan Rodríguez has been nominated as the United States Ambassador to Guatemala. When questioned about the national election process, Rodríguez noted the importance of the embassy communicating with candidates. Juan Rodríguez, the nominee for United States Ambassador to Guatemala, outlined priorities regarding the rule of law and political non-interference. Rodríguez stated the embassy should not be used to support specific candidates to avoid interfering in internal politics. He said that the embassy must ensure processes are respected without interference from malicious actors. The nominee also addressed questions regarding the current Attorney General. Rodríguez stated that Guatemalan institutions must be capable of fighting corruption. He argued that strengthening the Public Ministry is necessary to combat corruption effectively.

A vehicle with mechanical defects caused traffic slowdowns on the San Cristóbal bridge heading toward Charcas. Local agents moved the vehicle to a bay on the bridge to restore flow. The incident resulted in temporary vehicle circulation delays in the sector.

Municipal transit police in Villanuera closed lanes to deposit solid material on public roads to enable passage toward the capital. The maintenance work prevented several heavy transport vehicles from ascending and caused traffic complications.

The Ministry of Health announced that Hospital Roosevelt has acquired a new computed axial tomography (CT) scanner. The high-precision technology is intended to strengthen the timely detection of various diseases, specifically cancer.