This article deals with laws and legal initiatives that affect, positively or negatively, the free circulation of ideas in Guatemala. From the analysis of the legislative framework, and contextualized from a conjunctural perspective, it will seek to address what are the main trends of the last twenty years. Since the Constitutional Rank Emission of Thought Law passed in 1983, and enacted in the following years, freedom of expression enjoys robust legal protection in Guatemala. The inclusion of international treaties in the “constitutional block” and the crystallization of free access to public information as a fundamental human right within the Political Constitution have reinforced that protection. However, the poor implementation of these laws, a trend towards criminalization in recent years and a complex social-political context, are some of the reasons that threaten this essential freedom for democratic life. The context created from The massive use of the internet creates new challenges for the Guatemalan Congress. Troubling issues such as cybercrime gradually find their place on the parliamentary agenda and with them also a growing tension regarding the scope of freedom of expression.

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