Guatemala's Constitutional Court unanimously rejected a provisional challenge to the country's legal definition of marriage, blocking an effort by LGBTIQ+ rights group Lambda Association to open same-sex unions to legal recognition.
The court declined to grant a provisional injunction against Article 78 of the Civil Code, which defines marriage as a social institution in which "a man and a woman agree to unite with the purpose of living together, procreating, feeding and educating their children, and assisting each other."
Lambda argued the provision violates constitutional principles of equality, liberty and human dignity. The court's unanimous rejection of the provisional measure signals the likely direction of its final ruling.
Under current law, same-sex couples in Guatemala cannot receive joint medical coverage through the Guatemalan Social Security Institute, access widowhood pensions, or claim legal protections over shared property and inheritance.
Lambda representatives said the decision perpetuates "structural discrimination" that prevents thousands of Guatemalans from formalizing their relationships before the law.
Conservative and traditional-family advocates welcomed the ruling as an affirmation of the Constitution's historical interpretation of marriage as a heterosexual institution.
The decision places Guatemala at odds with a broader Latin American trend toward same-sex marriage legalization or civil union recognition with full rights.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
