Quick summary: Peace Corps has operated in Guatemala since 1963 and counts 5,390 Volunteers all time. After evacuating 168 Volunteers in March 2020, it brought 21 back in October 2022 and had 75 Volunteers as of October 2025 in four sectors (one, Community Economic Development, phased out in 2025). Sites are limited to the western highlands; Guatemala City is off-limits except with pre-approval, and travel on the Inter-American Highway is private-transport only. The Peace Corps Inspector General’s August 2026 evaluation (IG-26-02-E) found the post met most health, safety and housing standards, flagged Volunteer distrust of incident handling, and found 7 of 22 kitchens without a way to put out a fire. Peace Corps concurred with both recommendations.
All figures on this page come from one primary source: the Peace Corps Office of Inspector General (OIG) report Evaluation of Peace Corps/Guatemala: Volunteer Health, Safety, and Security at Site, IG-26-02-E, dated August 6, 2026 (read October 15, 2026). The OIG did its fieldwork in Guatemala from December 1 to December 13, 2025, interviewing post staff and visiting 22 Volunteers at their sites. The report notes that its other two evaluations were of Peace Corps/Mexico and Peace Corps/Samoa. Application steps, current openings and service terms are set by Peace Corps itself and are not covered here.
Peace Corps Guatemala at a glance
| Item | Figure (OIG report) |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1963 to present |
| Volunteers, all time | 5,390 |
| Volunteers at post | 75 (as of October 2025) |
| Evacuated, March 2020 (COVID-19 suspension) | 168 |
| Returned, October 2022 | 21 |
| Project sectors | Maternal and Child Health; Youth in Development; Rural Extension; Community Economic Development (phased out in 2025) |
| Staff | 3 US direct hires; 30 personal service contractors |
| Budget | $3,276,116 |
| Where Volunteers are placed | Western highlands only |
| Housing | Host families (all 22 Volunteers visited) |
Where Volunteers live, and where they cannot go
The OIG report states the geographic rules plainly: “Due to safety and security considerations, Volunteer site placements are limited to regions in the western highlands.”
- Guatemala City. The post bars Volunteers from multiple areas of the country, “including the capital, Guatemala City, where Volunteers can only visit under special circumstances that have been pre-approved by relevant post staff.”
- Inter-American Highway. The report says the post limits travel on the Inter-American Highway, described as the main road through the highlands, by requiring Volunteers to use private transportation only.
- Antigua and Quetzaltenango. The post formed a Service Improvement Alliance (SIA) group in December 2024. According to the report, the SIA’s work led to a safety and security-related policy change that “permitted less restrictive travel to Antigua and Quetzaltenango, two primary commerce hubs located in the western highlands.”
The country context the OIG cites: the Peace Corps’ 2023 risk assessment rated Guatemala’s crime level high, naming robbery, burglary and theft as common crimes. For how those risks look by region for other foreigners, see the safest places in Guatemala.
What the Inspector General found
| Area | Finding (OIG, 22 Volunteers visited) |
|---|---|
| Health concerns | 19 of 22 had no concerns about health risks; 2 cited unclean food |
| Health care | 17 of 22 satisfied with the physical health care from post; three approved medical referral facilities documented |
| Safety concerns | 16 of 22 had no safety and security concerns; some mentioned stray dogs or harassment |
| Incidents | 3 safety and security incidents (2 involving host families, 1 a coworker); all 3 Volunteers changed sites |
| Host-family training | Sexual assault and harassment orientation given to 100% of host families and Volunteer workplaces |
| Trust in staff | Some Volunteers would not report incidents to staff; 3 said staff were slow to respond |
| Housing standard | Houses “at a comparably higher standard than other posts” assessed in recent years |
| Cooking gas | 20 of 22 cooked with propane; 15 of 20 tanks outside the home; 3 tanks within 1.5 m of the stove were moved |
| Kitchen fire safety | 7 of 22 houses (32%) had no way to put out a kitchen fire |
| Project impact | All but 1 of 22 said they were making a positive impact |
Health. On food and water, the report quotes a staff member who called it a battle to keep Volunteers supplied with clean water and food, and it found the post covered this in pre-service and in-service training. For what that means for anyone living in Guatemala, see our guide to drinking water safety in Guatemala.
Safety and trust. The main issue the OIG raised was incident reporting. It wrote that “some Volunteers said they would not report safety and security incidents to post staff because they did not trust or have confidence in the staff’s management of policies and their response to reported safety and security incidents.”
Housing. Acceptable fire equipment is “a fire extinguisher or a bucket of sand”; the post responded that in Guatemala, “the most practical, effective tool is a bucket of sand.”
Recommendations and where they stand
| Recommendation | Agency response | Status (per the report) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The CD works with the SIA on a plan to improve Volunteers’ trust and confidence in safety and security policies and operations | Concur. All Volunteers invited through the SIA to give feedback in February 2026; Volunteer Service Handbook updated in May and June 2026; in-person workshop for SIA Volunteer representatives in June 2026; follow-up evaluation planned in six months | Open; agency timeline December 2026 |
| 2. The post ensures Volunteers have a method of extinguishing a cooking fire in their kitchens | Concur. Site-visit checklist now checks fire equipment at every official visit; the post ran a Sand Bucket Challenge contest with a prize for the best decorated sand bucket; all Volunteers submitted photos to demonstrate compliance | Closed by OIG |
If you are hosting or meeting Peace Corps Volunteers in Guatemala
- Host families receive sexual assault and sexual harassment orientation, and so does the Volunteer’s workplace; the OIG checked 100% coverage for the 22 sites it visited.
- Volunteers’ movement is restricted by post rules: trips to Guatemala City need pre-approval, and travel on the Inter-American Highway must be by private transportation.
- Volunteering outside Peace Corps follows different rules; see volunteering on a tourist visa in Guatemala and mission trips: permits and safety.
- US citizens in Guatemala reach the embassy through US citizen services.
Sources
Read October 15, 2026: Peace Corps Office of Inspector General, Evaluation of Peace Corps/Guatemala: Volunteer Health, Safety, and Security at Site, IG-26-02-E (PDF), August 2026, including the agency’s response to the recommendations. Figures are as of the report’s dates (fieldwork December 2025; Volunteer count October 2025) and may have changed since.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peace Corps still active in Guatemala?
Yes. The Peace Corps Office of Inspector General (OIG) report IG-26-02-E, dated August 6, 2026, lists the post’s dates of operation as 1963 to the present and counts 75 Volunteers in Guatemala as of October 2025. The agency evacuated 168 Volunteers in March 2020 when it suspended operations worldwide for COVID-19; 21 Volunteers returned in October 2022.
Where in Guatemala do Peace Corps Volunteers live?
In the western highlands. The OIG report says that, due to safety and security considerations, Volunteer site placements are limited to regions in the western highlands. Each of the 22 Volunteers the OIG visited lived in a house with a host family.
Can Peace Corps Volunteers in Guatemala visit Guatemala City or Antigua?
Guatemala City only under special circumstances pre-approved by post staff, per the OIG report, which says the post prohibits Volunteer travel to multiple areas of the country, including the capital. Travel on the Inter-American Highway is limited to private transportation. Work by the Service Improvement Alliance (SIA), a group the post formed in December 2024, led to a policy change that permitted less restrictive travel to Antigua and Quetzaltenango.
What projects do Peace Corps Volunteers work on in Guatemala?
The OIG report lists four project sectors: Maternal and Child Health, Youth in Development, Rural Extension, and Community Economic Development. It adds that the Community Economic Development program was phased out in 2025 and there are no longer CED Volunteers in country.
Is Peace Corps Guatemala safe for Volunteers?
The OIG found the post complied with most critical health, safety and security, and housing standards at Volunteer sites. Of 22 Volunteers interviewed, 16 had no safety and security concerns at their homes, sites or workplaces; some mentioned stray dogs or harassment. The report also says some Volunteers would not report incidents to staff because they did not trust the staff’s handling of them, and it recommended a plan to rebuild that trust (agency target: December 2026).
How many people have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Guatemala?
The OIG report’s overview table gives 5,390 Volunteers all time, with 3 US direct-hire staff, 30 personal service contractors and a budget of $3,276,116 for the post.
Do I need a special visa to volunteer in Guatemala outside Peace Corps?
The OIG report covers Peace Corps only. For independent volunteering and the tourist-stamp rules, see our guide to volunteering on a tourist visa in Guatemala.
