Guatemala's Fight Against Criminal Impunity: CICIG, A Hybrid Approach

Abstract

The focus of this paper is CICIG, la Comision Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala). Established through an agreement between the United Nations and Guatemalan government in 2006, CICIG is the first commission of its kind, functioning as a hybrid effort in the battle against Guatemalan criminal impunity. This paper will provide an overview of the multi-faceted problem of impunity within Guatemala. This investigation will also examine CICIG's establishment, structure, and goals. Furthermore, this paper will discuss the encouraging results that CICIG has achieved in its first two years of work, while also addressing the challenges that the commission has encountered. Finally, this paper will examine the future implications of CICIG within Guatemala, and also the implications of a possible replication effort of a CICIG-type commission in a different society, beyond Guatemala.