Corruption Fuels a Feedback Loop in Guatemala

The political and social situation in Guatemala is key to Central America's stability. With stronger institutions and relatively less violence than Honduras and El Salvador, Guatemala is usually where U.S. operations of assistance in the Northern Triangle begin. This assistance doesn't mean, however, that Guatemala is a peaceful land of consolidated institutions. In fact, some Guatemalan indicators of human development, corruption and violence are comparable with some of the world's most turbulent countries. For instance, child malnutrition in Guatemala reaches half of the population below 5 years of age, a situation comparable with Yemen or Burundi. But when compared with Honduras and El Salvador, the two other countries that constitute Central America's Northern Triangle, Guatemala usually provides the best location for diplomatic operations in the region, where corruption, extreme poverty and violence remain sources of social and political unrest....