Óscar Berger

president of Guatemala

Also known as: Óscar Berger Perdomo, Perdomo, Óscar Berger

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Óscar Berger Perdomo served as the president of Guatemala from 2004 to 2008. His presidency focused on healing internal divisions and promoting indigenous languages by turning over the former presidential palace and army headquarters to the Academy of Mayan Languages and Maya TV. During his term, Guatemala joined the Central America–Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA–DR) with the United States. His administration also saw an increase in U.S. military aid for drug interdiction operations. Despite these efforts, Guatemala continued to face significant challenges, including widespread poverty, the lingering effects of civil war, drug-related crime, and human rights violations.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Guatemala
Guatemala in the 21st century
…was followed in 2004 by Óscar Berger Perdomo, who, in trying to heal internal wounds, turned over the former presidential palace and army headquarters to the Academy of Mayan Languages and Maya TV. Perdomo also placed Nobel laureate Menchú in charge of further implementing the 1996 accords. In July 2006…
Read More
…was followed in 2004 by Óscar Berger Perdomo, who, in trying to heal internal wounds, turned over the former presidential palace and army headquarters to the Academy of Mayan Languages and Maya TV. Perdomo also placed Nobel laureate Menchú in charge of further implementing the 1996 accords. In July 2006…
Read More