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    AI by country · Central America and Caribbean

    AI in Guatemala: the rules, the readiness and where to start

    Last checked: 29 October 2026

    What should a company in Guatemala know before starting with AI?

    Guatemala has no AI law and no general personal data protection law as of 29 October 2026. The Constitution protects privacy, and the Access to Public Information Law (Decree 57-2008) sets data rules for public bodies and for private firms that handle public funds or run state concessions. Two data protection bills are in Congress, so a company should build good data habits now rather than wait for them.

    At a glance

    Guatemala at a glance

    Key facts about Guatemala
    Data protection lawNo general law as of 29 October 2026. Constitution articles 23, 24 and 31, and the Access to Public Information Law (Decree 57-2008) for obliged subjects
    RegulatorNo data protection authority. The Human Rights Ombudsman (PDH) handles some privacy complaints
    AI policyGovernment AI strategy in preparation, led by SENACYT. No AI law as of 29 October 2026
    Time zoneUTC-6 all year, no daylight saving (India is 11.5 hours ahead)
    CurrencyGTQ (quetzal)
    Business languageSpanish; the country also has 22 Mayan languages, Xinka and Garífuna

    Why now

    Why Guatemala is worth watching

    Each point links to the document it comes from.

    • UNESCO and SENACYT presented an AI Readiness Assessment for Guatemala in May 2026, the first in Central America under UNESCO's method.[1]

    • SENACYT's head said in September 2026 that a government AI strategy document should be finished by late November or early December 2026, with a wider national strategy to follow in 2027.[6]

    • The UNESCO report estimates AI's possible economic effect at between 2.1% and 3.9% of 2024 GDP a year.[1]

    • The same report finds that 56.1% of the population used the internet in 2023, below the Latin American average of 71.46%.[1]

    • A UNDP-supported AI landscape assessment published in February 2026 placed Guatemala in phase two of five, with an overall score of 2.0 out of 5.[4]

    • Vice President Karin Herrera said at the report launch that AI is already part of the present and needs clear rules.[5]

    The rules

    The rules that matter for AI

    What each law or policy means when you build or buy an AI system.

    Constitución Política de la República de Guatemala, articles 23, 24 and 31

    In force1985The Constitution protects privacy and family life, private correspondence and documents, and the right to see and correct information about oneself in state archives. UNESCO notes these rights have not yet been turned into specific rules for digital or automated processing.[1]

    Ley de Acceso a la Información Pública, Decreto 57-2008

    In force2008It binds public bodies and also private firms that manage public funds, perform public functions or hold state concessions (article 6). They must keep personal data accurate, secure and limited to its purpose (article 30), and may not share or sell it without express written consent (article 31). Selling personal data files without written authorisation carries five to eight years in prison and fines of Q50,000 to Q100,000 (article 64).[2]

    Iniciativa 6464, Ley de Protección de Datos Personales y Garantía de Derechos Digitales

    Draft2024Under review by the National Security Affairs Committee. UNESCO describes it and Initiative 6572 as aiming to create a modern framework and a specialised authority, based on informed consent, data minimisation and accountability. Neither had passed when we checked.[1]

    Where AI fits first

    Where AI fits first

    Government suppliers and concession holders

    Document processing and citizen service tools built for public bodies.

    Private firms handling public funds or state concessions are obliged subjects under Decree 57-2008, so its data rules and penalties apply to them.[2]

    Customer service and language access

    Spanish-language assistants, with careful testing before any use in Mayan languages.

    UNESCO notes the lack of large data sets in Mayan languages, Garífuna and Xinka, which limits AI tools for these speakers.[1]

    Banking and consumer credit

    Fraud alerts and document checks, with staff deciding on credit.

    We found no AI rule from the financial regulator. With no general data law, written consent and clear contracts are the main safeguards for now.[1]

    Health care

    Summarising records and scheduling, with clinicians making decisions.

    UNESCO recommends a national strategy for AI in health. No AI-specific health rule exists yet.[1]

    Your first steps

    Your first steps

    1. Check whether you are an obliged subject under Decree 57-2008, for example because you handle public funds or hold a state concession.
    2. Get express written consent before sharing personal data with anyone, including an AI provider, and never sell sensitive data.
    3. Write down what personal data each AI tool uses and why, and keep it to what the task needs.
    4. Keep a person in charge of decisions about credit, jobs or health, even though no law yet requires it.
    5. Put data protection terms in your contracts with AI vendors in and outside Guatemala.
    6. Follow Initiatives 6464 and 6572 in Congress so you are ready if a data protection authority is created.

    AI services for Guatemala

    AI consulting and development for teams in Guatemala

    We work remotely with companies in Guatemala, in your time zone, and keep your data under the rules described above.

    AI agents and automation

    Agents that finish multi-step work across your tools, with people approving what matters.
    Learn more

    Document Q&A (RAG)

    Answers from your own documents, with the source shown for every answer.
    Learn more

    AI governance and data protection

    Policies, review steps and audit trails that fit your local data law.
    Learn more

    Software and cloud engineering

    Web apps, integrations and cloud platforms built around your AI use case.
    Learn more

    How we work with you

    How we work with you

    We work remotely with clients worldwide, in the client's time zone. Guatemala is on UTC-6 all year and India on UTC+5:30, so India is 11.5 hours ahead. An Indian day of 9:30 to 18:30 ends at 07:00 in Guatemala City, so there is no overlap in normal office hours. We agree a short call early in your morning, which is evening in India, and send written updates so you start each day with progress to review.

    Questions

    Common questions about AI in Guatemala

    Does Guatemala have a data protection law?

    Not a general one as of 29 October 2026. The Constitution protects privacy, and Decree 57-2008 covers personal data held by public bodies and some private firms linked to public funds. Initiatives 6464 and 6572 would create a general law.

    Does Guatemala have an AI law or strategy?

    There is no AI law. SENACYT is drafting a government AI strategy that it expects to finish around the end of 2026, and a wider national strategy is planned for 2027. UNESCO recommends making the strategy official in a legal instrument.

    Who do I report a data problem to?

    There is no data protection authority. UNESCO notes that the Human Rights Ombudsman handles some privacy complaints, and the Public Prosecutor investigates when misuse is a crime.

    Is selling customer data illegal?

    For obliged subjects under Decree 57-2008, selling personal data files without written authorisation is a crime with five to eight years in prison. Other laws, such as the Penal Code, also have partial privacy provisions.

    Complimentary tools

    Try these first

    Three complimentary tools from our AI Toolkit that suit a team starting out.

    AI readiness score

    Answer a few questions and see where your team stands, in about five minutes.
    Open the tool

    AI use case triage

    Test an idea against data, risk and effort before you spend on it.
    Open the tool

    AI project cost estimator

    Get a rough build and run cost range for a first AI project.
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    Read next

    Sources

    Sources

    Facts checked on 29 October 2026. Numbers in square brackets above match this list.
    1. [1] UNESCO and SENACYT, 2026-05-15. Guatemala: Reporte del Estadío de Preparación para la Inteligencia Arti…(mzaghi.com)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Guatemala: Reporte del Estadío de Preparación para la Inteligencia Artificial (SHS/BIO/2026/AI-RAM/GT). UNESCO publication, read in full; this copy is hosted on a third-party site because we could not find it on unesco.org. Used for the constitutional articles, the lack of a data authority, Initiatives 6464 and 6572, internet use, GDP estimate, languages and recommendations.

    2. [2] Congreso de la República de Guatemala, via the Organization of American States, 2008-09-23. Decreto 57-2008, Ley de Acceso a la Información Pública(oas.org)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Decreto 57-2008, Ley de Acceso a la Información Pública. Primary text, read in Spanish. Used for articles 6, 30, 31, 32 and 64. The date given is the decree's approval date as commonly cited; it took effect in April 2009 according to s1.

    3. [3] Vector Crítico, 2026-09-10. El Congreso militariza cada ley de ciberseguridad que le entra, y Guate…(vectorcritico.com)
      Full title and what we used it for

      El Congreso militariza cada ley de ciberseguridad que le entra, y Guatemala sigue sin una. Independent media analysis. Used for the point that Guatemala has no personal data protection law and that cybersecurity bill 6347 was returned to committee on 14 April 2026. The Congress website blocked our requests.

    4. [4] Joint SDG Fund (United Nations), 2026-02-03. Guatemala advances toward inclusive and responsible use of Artificial I…(jointsdgfund.org)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Guatemala advances toward inclusive and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. UN programme article. Used for the AI Landscape Assessment score and its recommendations.

    5. [5] DPL News, 2026-05-19. Guatemala | Vicepresidenta: la IA ya no es el futuro, es el presente y…(dplnews.com)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Guatemala | Vicepresidenta: la IA ya no es el futuro, es el presente y se deben tener reglas claras. Press report of the UNESCO report launch. Used for the Vice President's remarks.

    6. [6] El Ecosistema Startup, 2026-09-20. Guatemala define estrategia de IA: quién la dirigirá(ecosistemastartup.com)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Guatemala define estrategia de IA: quién la dirigirá. Blog report relaying an interview by SENACYT's head with Prensa Libre. Used for the timing of the government AI strategy document and the multisector national strategy planned for 2027. We did not open the Prensa Libre interview itself.

    This is general information, not legal advice. Guatemala has no general data protection law, and the bills in Congress may change. The Congress website and some government pages blocked our requests, so bill stages and the strategy timeline rest on the UNESCO report and press, as noted in the sources. Check with a qualified Guatemalan lawyer before you act. Facts checked on 29 October 2026.

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