Alejandro Giammattei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alejandro Giammattei
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Formal portrait, 2021
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| 51st President of Guatemala | |
| In office 14 January 2020 – 14 January 2024 |
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| Vice President | Guillermo Castillo |
| Preceded by | Jimmy Morales |
| Succeeded by | Bernardo Arévalo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla
9 March 1956 Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Political party | Vamos |
| Spouse | Rosana Cáceres (divorced) |
| Children | 3, including Marcela |
| Cabinet | Cabinet of Alejandro Giammattei |
| Signature |  |
Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla (Spanish pronunciation: [aleˈxandɾo ʝamaˈtej]; born 9 March 1956) is a Guatemalan politician who was the 51st president of Guatemala from 2020 to 2024.
He is a former director of the Guatemalan penitentiary system and participated in Guatemala's presidential elections in 2007, 2011, and 2015.
He won in the 2019 election, and assumed office on 14 January 2020.
Contents
Political career
Giammattei was the general coordinator of the electoral processes in 1985, 1988, and 1990. He gained recognition at both national and international level.
He has been a consultant to several companies since 2000. After losing the mayoral elections, he was appointed director of the Guatemalan Penitentiary System in 2006. He ceased to be director of the Penitentiary System in 2008. He had several conflicts and accusations about the Pavorreal case, leading to his incarceration for a short time.
Giammattei has had three appearances in the general elections for President of Guatemala. The first was in 2007, with the then-official party, the Great National Alliance (GANA), with strong participation. The second was in 2011 with the Social Action Center Party, but it was dissolved due to not reaching the minimum percentage of votes required by the TSE. In the elections of 2015, he joined the presidency with the FUERZA party.
Presidency (2020–2024)
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Giammattei became the presidential candidate for the Vamos party in the 2019 presidential elections. He placed second in the first round behind Sandra Torres on 16 June 2019, with 13.95% of the vote, but won the second round against the latter on 11 August 2019, with 57.96% of the vote.
On 14 January 2020, Giammattei assumed office as president of the Republic of Guatemala, succeeding Jimmy Morales.
Political crisis in 2020
Guatemala experienced a political crisis in November 2020 following the adoption of a controversial budget. Most of the funds are earmarked for privately managed infrastructure and neglect the fight against poverty and child malnutrition, which affects nearly half of all children under five while generating an increase in public debt. Congress was set on fire following the repression of a demonstration by the police. At the same time, the Vice President, Guillermo Castillo Reyes, called on Alejandro Giammattei to resign for "the good of the country." This crisis came at a time when the government was also facing criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals quickly became saturated and the Ministry of Health was accused of withholding information about the pandemic.
End of presidency
A sharp increase in violent crime and a punishingly high cost of living have made Alejandro Giammattei deeply unpopular. In January 2022, halfway through his term, Giammattei had a 27% approval rating according to a CID Gallup poll, one of the lowest among the continent's presidents. In 2023, only 2.9% of respondents rate the Giammattei administration as good. Emigration to the United States increased sharply under his presidency.
Post-presidency
On 17 January 2024, the U.S. State Department barred Giammattei from entering the United States, accusing him of “involvement in significant corruption” during his presidency, namely "accepting bribes in exchange for the performance of his public functions".
Political views
Giammattei has vowed to bring back the death penalty and pledged to "crush violent gangs, fight poverty to stop migration and end 'disgusting' corruption." He is against same-sex marriage and supports using the military for civilian security.
Personal life
Giammattei married Rosana Cáceres on 11 February 1989, and they have three children, including Marcela. Giammattei and Cáceres were separated by the time Giammattei launched his presidential campaign in 2019. As result of the divorce, his daughter Marcela serves as First Lady of Guatemala. He cites Mahatma Gandhi as his most admired world figure. Giammattei has multiple sclerosis and uses crutches in order to walk.
Giammattei's paternal grandfather was Italian, and Giammattei obtained Italian citizenship through jure sanguinis, in addition to his Guatemalan citizenship by birthright.
Honors
- Taiwan: Order of Brilliant Jade, Grand Cordon, awarded by the President of the Republic of China Tsai Ing-wen on 20 April 2023
See also
In Spanish: Alejandro Giammattei para niños
