On February 27, President Alejandro Giammattei passed a law enabling the Executive to ban the activities of social organizations “disturbing public order” and take control over their finances. Those responsible for entities not complying with the law could be punished with imprisonment or business disqualification for a minimum of two years. The bill, approved by Congress on February 11, was condemned by more than 90 civil society organizations, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In response to legal appeals filed by civil society, on March 2 the Constitutional Court provisionally suspended the law. The Government announced it would respect the Court’s decision despite disagreeing with it, but indicated it would shortly present a new bill. 

Read the joint statement from civil society organizations calling for the law to be overturned.