On June 2, 2026, the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala approved the final version of the Comprehensive Law for the Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering or Other Assets and the Financing of Terrorism (LD/FT/FPADM). This legislation updates and unifies the legal framework applicable to the prevention and suppression of money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The approval of this law represents a significant step forward for Guatemala, especially in the context of the mutual evaluation to be conducted by GAFILAT in 2027, which will analyze not only the existence of legislation aligned with international standards but also its effective implementation and the results achieved by the country in the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution, and punishment of these crimes.
Among the main aspects of the new law are:
- The incorporation of more precise definitions of relevant concepts in the areas of ML/TF/WMDP.
- The expansion of the list of regulated entities, which includes virtual asset service providers (VASPs), fintechs, and notaries, among other sectors.
- The adoption of a risk-based approach, under which regulated entities must identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor the risks to which they are exposed.
- Clearer regulation of customer due diligence obligations.
- The strengthening of obligations such as the reporting of suspicious transactions, the retention of information, and compliance with requests from competent authorities.
- The obligation to immediately comply with United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions related to targeted financial sanctions, including the freezing of funds or assets where applicable.
- The creation of the National Council for the Coordination of Efforts against Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and the Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CONCLAFT).
- The updating of the penalty regime for non-compliance, with fines ranging from US$500.00 to US$300,000.00.
In short, this new law represents an important step toward strengthening the national system for the prevention and prosecution of money laundering and terrorist financing.
At Consortium Legal, we have a team specializing in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, and regulatory compliance, which assists companies and professionals with risk assessment, the implementation of compliance programs, the development and updating of internal policies, training, compliance audits, and addressing regulatory requirements.