Scientific advice and public policy: The management of the pandemic in Guatemala

Authors

Abstract

This article analyzes the influence of scientific advice on the management of the pandemic in Guatemala through a series of evaluations regarding the design and implementation of the health and labor policy that were implemented between March and November 2020, as well as the actors who intervened during the process. To achieve this, this article is divided into three parts: the background, the analysis of the scientific advice and the conclusions. The first includes a general review of the state of science and technology in Guatemala and a description of the prompt reaction of the central government to the appearance of the first case of Covid-19. The second discusses and reflects on the real impact of scientific advice, especially that from Coprecovid in the formulation of the aforementioned policies; and, finally, in the third part, the general conclusions regarding the role of the actors that most affected the management of the pandemic are raised.

Keywords:

scientific advice, public policy, covid-19, government

Author Biography

Luis Guillermo Velásquez Pérez, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

Politólogo por la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. Fue representante estudiantil y ha sido becado para cursar programas y diplomados en Guatemala, Chile, Brasil y España. Ha ejercido como profesor universitario, consultor y asesor en organismos públicos y privados. Además, tiene publicaciones en revistas académicas y artículos de opinión en medios de comunicación escritos y digitales nacionales e internacionales.