Armed Forces of Guatemala

The Armed Forces of Guatemala (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala) is the unified military organization of the Guatemala, consisting of three services: the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Guatemalan Armed Forces are responsible for defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, and both internal and external security. The president of Guatemala is the commander-in-chief of the military, and formulates policy, training, and budget through the Minister of National Defense. The Chief of the General Staff is responsible for its operations.

The formal establishment of the organization occurred after the start of the liberal period in Guatemala on 30 June 1871, a date that is commemorated as Armed Forces Day. The Guatemalan military emerged as the dominant political force in the country after the 1954 coup d'état and instituted a military dictatorship until 1986. During the Guatemalan Civil War from 1960 to 1996, the military waged a counter-insurgency campaign against left-wing guerilla fighters that resulted in many atrocities against civilians, a genocide of the Maya population, and the deaths of 200,000 people.

Since the civil war, the military underwent reforms to strengthen civilian control and accountability, though it still has a high degree of autonomy. More recently, Guatemalan forces have taken part in United Nations peacekeeping missions and have assisted other government agencies in combating organized crime.