Democratic Disenchantment Among Guatemalan Youth: Expressions and Resistance in Public Universities

Abstract

This article examines democratic disenchantment among Guatemalan university youth, focusing on the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC). The study departs from widespread youth mistrust toward political institutions—parties, Congress, the judiciary, and electoral processes—documented across Latin America. Yet this disenchantment does not signify apathy; rather, it represents a form of critical disaffection and a search for alternative modes of political engagement. The objective is to understand how young people express and re-signify this disenchantment within the public university, and how forms of resistance emerge in response to institutional deterioration. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative approach combining documentary review with empirical evidence from interviews and focus groups conducted in 2022–2023 with students, faculty, and student leaders. 

Findings show that disenchantment is rooted in concrete experiences of corruption, clientelism, loss of university autonomy, and weakening of USAC’s historical social mission. These perceptions align with regional studies documenting the erosion of institutional trust among youth. However, the research also identifies active forms of resistance: defense of university autonomy, civic mobilization during political crises, promotion of critical thinking, and reaffirmation of public higher education as a pathway for social mobility. Overall, Guatemalan university youth exhibit selective disaffection: they reject co-opted institutions while maintaining trust in social movements, anti-corruption leadership, and alternative spaces for participation. Recognizing and channeling this potential is essential for restoring democratic legitimacy and revitalizing the public role of USAC.