Finally, from sentence to action. The Public Policy for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) is the vital instrument with which Guatemala is beginning to settle a historic debt.

The origin: A case of impunity

On 20 December 2004, Florentín Gudiel, a courageous human rights defender, was murdered. Unfortunately, the authorities did not do enough to find those responsible. As a result, the landmark case ‘Human Rights Defender and Others v. Guatemala’ reached the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), which ordered the Guatemalan State to create a public policy for the protection of human rights defenders.

The Inter-American Court has been building an important body of jurisprudence—and associated documentation—on public policies, mechanisms, and protocols for the protection of human rights defenders and their collectives.

Among the most relevant rulings are Human Rights Defender and Others v. Guatemala (2014), Luna López v. Honduras (2013, with CEJIL) and Yarce and Others v. Colombia (2016). In all three cases, key contributions on public policies for the protection of HRDs were incorporated, based on expert reports by Protection International prepared by Enrique Eguren, an expert in HRD protection, at the request of the accompanying organisations (CEJIL, UDEFEGUA and the IACHR, respectively).

A policy is finally a reality!

The State of Guatemala finally presented the public policy on 13 November 2025. The existence of the Public Policy is not optional, but rather is the direct result of the condemnation imposed by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) together with Guatemalan civil society, the country’s communities of defenders, and the international community.

‘Human rights defenders are not adversaries, they are allies of democracy.’ Minister of the Interior at the policy presentation ceremony

Since 2015, Protection International (PI) has been actively involved in monitoring and participating in the public policy processes in Guatemala as a member of the International Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations (FONGI). In addition, PI’s Protection Desk in Guatemala has promoted key discussions to ensure that the public policy responds to the needs of the most affected communities, including rural indigenous communities and the country’s diverse group of HRDs. 

The main pillars of the public policy for human rights defenders are:

• Prevention: Working to prevent risks and threats from occurring.
• Care and Protection: Providing direct support to human rights defenders and organisations.
• Access to Justice: Ensuring that crimes do not go unpunished, as a form of non-repetition and reparation.

Despite this advancement in structural protection measures, journalists in Guatemala have not yet received the same level of protection. A State mechanism intended to protect journalists has been pending since 2012. Following the approval of the Public Policy for Human Rights Defenders, the Guatemalan government authorities reaffirmed their commitment to promote the creation of a specific protection plan for Guatemala’s journalists.

Find the full text (in Spanish) of the Guatemalan Public Policy for Human Rights Defenders at this link: https://mingob.gob.gt/politica-publica-para-la-proteccion-de-personas-defensoras-de-los-derechos-humanos-en-guatemala/