Álvaro Colom

Álvaro Colom served as the president of Guatemala from 2007 to 2011. He was the first leftist president in Guatemala since 1996 and promised to improve public education and healthcare in rural areas. Despite his efforts, his presidency was marked by persistent poverty, labor discontent, and human rights violations. Guatemala also faced a significant increase in drug-related crime and violence during his term, as gangs from other countries used Guatemala for trafficking and money laundering. Colom's administration struggled to combat these issues, and violence worsened. He was succeeded by Otto Pérez Molina in 2011.12