The Resurgence of Mano Dura in Guatemala

Abstract

This article is part of a larger study completed on the Northern Triangle of Central America. The study presented here covers the issue of gangs and intersectionality with other factors that perpetuate conditions of human exploitation, touches on possible intervention strategies, and finally criticizes the continued use of iron-fisted policies over social interventions. I use a meta-analysis approach combined with document analysis to argue that mano dura is on the horizon for Guatemala once again, as political rhetoric and congressional, judicial, and executive power interplay to answer the call to “do something” with the tried and failed heavy-handed policies of the past and of Guatemala’s neighbors. In this article, I delve into the current political maelstrom surrounding the issues of gang power, recruitment, and proliferation and how Guatemala seeks to combat this crisis, ignoring alternatives which have been tried as a means of deterring gang activities and reducing gang-related violence, deferring to mano dura policies instead. Studies support that mano dura is an ineffective and counter-productive anti-gang strategy, but indicators are pointing toward a resurgence of this brand of counter-violence as President Giammattei calls for an attack on gangs “with all the weight and rigor that the law will allow.” The consequences of such an approach will have profound implications for policymakers, social workers, human rights advocates, law enforcement and legal advocates, and other stakeholders.