Guillermo Castillo Reyes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Guillermo Castillo Reyes
Official portrait, 2020
17th Vice President of Guatemala
In office 14 January 2020 – 14 January 2024
President	Alejandro Giammattei
Preceded by	Jafeth Cabrera
Succeeded by	Karin Herrera
Personal details
Born	(1966-03-17) 17 March 1966 (age 59) Huehuetenango, Guatemala
Political party	Independent (since 2020)
Other political affiliations	Vamos (until 2020)
Spouse	Lisette Arriaga
Children	1
Alma mater	Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
Signature

César Guillermo Castillo Reyes (born March 17, 1966) is a Guatemalan lawyer and politician. He served as the 17th vice president of Guatemala from 2020 to 2024.

Before becoming Vice President, Castillo worked in various government roles. He was a Deputy Minister of Labor from 2004 to 2005. He also served on the board of the Bar Association and Notaries of Guatemala. In 2013, he became the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala, a position he held until 2018.

Early Life and Education

Guillermo Castillo was born in Huehuetenango, a city in western Guatemala, on March 17, 1966. His father, Enrique Castillo, was from Cuilco, and his mother, Reyna Reyes, was from Santa Cruz Barillas. Both towns are in the Huehuetenango Department.

School Days

Castillo attended the Salvador Osorio School for his primary education. He then went to La Salle College for secondary school. He later graduated as a teacher from the Alejandro Córdova Mixed Normal Institute.

University Studies

After finishing his teaching studies, he moved to Guatemala City. There, he studied to become a Lawyer and Notary at San Carlos's Guatemala University. He graduated in 1998. Later, he earned a master's degree in Human Rights from the Rafael Landívar University.

Public Service Career

Guillermo Castillo began his career in public service in 1986. He worked at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Early Roles

Before 1993, he became involved with the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (CACIF). He worked on their Labor and Tax Commissions. From 1993 to 1994, he was an investigator for the Public Prosecutor's Office. He then served as an assistant to the Specific Secretariat until 1998.

Leadership Positions

In March 1998, Castillo joined the INTECAP – Training Institute. He was the General Secretary and Head of the Department of International Technical Cooperation. He left this role in 2004 to become the First Vice Minister of Labor and Social Welfare under Óscar Berger.

In May 2005, he returned to INTECAP as its General Manager. He held this position until April 2009. During these years, he worked with Alejandro Giammattei, who was then director of the Penitentiary System. Their collaboration later led to them becoming a presidential team.

Judicial and Business Roles

In 2009, the Guatemalan Congress chose him as a judge for the Court of Appeals of the Contentious in the Judicial Branch. He served as a judge until March 2014. He was also the treasurer for the Bar Association and Notaries of Guatemala from 2009 to 2011.

In March 2014, he became the Executive Director of the Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce. He resigned from his judicial position for this role. He left the Chamber of Commerce in 2018 to help form the political party Vamos.

Castillo during the campaign in 2019.

In 2019, the Vamos party chose him as their candidate for Vice President of Guatemala. He ran alongside Alejandro Giammattei as the presidential candidate.

Vice Presidency

On August 11, 2019, Guillermo Castillo was elected Vice President of Guatemala. This happened in the second round of presidential elections. He ran with Alejandro Giammattei, who became president. After the election, Castillo stated, "I will be the vice president; I am not a person who is going to be behind the door watching how the president makes decisions, I have my character too." This showed he intended to be an active vice president.

Taking Office

Castillo took his oath to the constitution on January 14, 2020. He was sworn in by the president of the congress. Before becoming Vice President, he was not widely known in politics. However, he was known for talking with other candidates during the 2019 elections. This suggested he would encourage dialogue within the new government.

Government Structure

Early in Alejandro Giammattei's government, a "Center of Government" was created. This center was meant to help organize the government and meet presidential goals. Some politicians and journalists thought this center had similar duties to the vice presidency. They believed it might reduce the Vice President's role in organizing the government cabinet.

Images for kids

• 

  Guillermo Castillo's signature

See also

In Spanish: Guillermo Castillo Reyes para niños