Between nostalgia and hope: A look at Guatemalan justice in exile
Réalisation Sergi Tarín;
Guatemala · 2026 · 29 min · Social issues; Inequalities; War; Historical; Other; Revenge;
Film soumis au RTV International Film Festival 2026Synopsis
Since 2019, dozens of Guatemalan justice officials have been persecuted, imprisoned, and forced into exile by the country's corrupt elites. In 2025, a group met in Spain to develop strategies for a safe return.
À propos du film
Guatemala is a clear, large-scale example of what is known as lawfare: the manipulation of legal structures by a corrupt elite that persecutes those who threaten its impunity, assets, and privileges. Here, businesspeople, politicians, and the military converge under the historical designation of illegal groups and clandestine security apparatuses. The 1996 peace accords, which ended a 36-year civil war, committed the powers of the State to eradicating them. This did not happen. These shadowy entities took root within the folds of Guatemala's weak institutional structure and continued to wield power from the shadows, without ever needing to use force. The arrival in the country of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) gradually cornered these dark forces. Between 2007 and 2019, high-impact investigations were launched, the Public Prosecutor's Office was modernized, and structures were created that boosted the effectiveness of the justice system, such as the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI) and the High-Risk Courts. Guatemala experienced a political spring and had never been so close to achieving equality of rights. High-level corruption cases, such as La Línea and Odebrecht, were thoroughly investigated, and transitional justice processes were promoted, such as the one that ended in 2013 with the conviction of the former dictator, José Efraín Ríos Montt, for genocide. The old warlords, now transformed into rulers, members of parliament, or businessmen inheriting ancestral colonial surnames, saw their privileges threatened. They reorganized, consolidated their power, and, after the expulsion of the CICIG in 2019, reversed the progress made and reconfigured the State to shield themselves from impunity. A maneuver known as the “Pact of the Corrupt.” Furthermore, to make an example of those who had dared to question their authority, they launched an unprecedented persecution against judges, prosecutors, lawyers, journalists, Indigenous leaders, and social activists. All of this was achieved by twisting criminal law and using as their shock troops far-right military and ex-military organizations, such as the Foundation Against Terrorism, the Pro Patria League, and Guatemala Inmortal. Since then, dozens of justice system professionals have been stigmatized, prosecuted, imprisoned, and forced into exile. At the end of November 2025, the NGO Perifèries del Món brought together a dozen of them for a week in La Pobla de Benifassà, a town of 200 inhabitants in the mountainous interior of the province of Castelló. This documentary recounts their resistance, achievements, and fears. It also explores their hopes for a safe return and for a future with full justice for Guatemala.
Lien officiel
Matériel promotionnel fourni ou expressément autorisé par le titulaire des droits. La publication est distincte de la sélection au festival.
RTV International Film Festival — Inaugural Online Edition · 2026