Several complaints for lack of transparency in the care processes and, mainly, in the process of adhesion and registration to the Social Registry of Households, in charge of Ministry of Social Development (Mides) They were presented by representatives of families from different neighborhoods in zone 18 of the capital, as well as zones 24 and 25, during a meeting with authorities of that portfolio called by deputy José Chic, from the Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (Vos) bloc.
This registry represents “the door” of entry so that families can be included as beneficiaries of the different social programs.
According to the affected people, Mides personnel have carried out the census in the different neighborhoods to find out how many people are seeking to opt for social programs, mainly the Bolsa Social, for which they have already carried out the corresponding procedures and provided a copy of the Personal Identification Document (DPI) to be registered, they also assured that they accredited the information about their economic and social situation to be included in the program.
However, they commented that So far, many of them have not been registered in the Social Household Registry, despite the fact that many people carried out the procedures from the previous year.. Meanwhile, some people who are already registered have not yet been included among the beneficiaries of social programs.
According to Vice Minister Bertha Zapeta, The request for a copy of the DPI is only made when the person “already qualified as a beneficiary” or when the photograph of the document taken during the census is not legible. He also assured that no other person should require a copy or photograph of said document.
“No person should request it, no person should provide a copy of the DPI, not two, not three. It is a copy of the DPI that we are requesting, solely and exclusively from those who qualified for the social exchange program,” said Zapeta, who explained that, after people are included in the program, Mides stamps the debit card through which the benefit is deposited, once all the information has been validated.
For his part, deputy José Chic He stated that there are people who were required to have up to three copies of the DPI in order to be registered as beneficiaries of social programs, which raises doubts from every point of view.
“In some places they asked for a copy of the DPI, in other places they asked for three copies of the DPI… here I have photographs of where a man with his vest on a bench, sitting on a soccer field, was collecting people’s DPI. So that does not generate trust,” said the congressman.
Figures
During the meeting, The vice minister of Social Development assured that from 2024 to 2026 there was a significant growth in beneficiaries of the Bolsa Social program in the municipality of Guatemala, since, according to portfolio records, in 2023 there were only 1,963 beneficiaries, with an annual budget execution of Q8 million.
The official explained that, starting in 2024, the program was extended to 4,661 beneficiaries, with an annual execution of Q15 million. The same figures were maintained during 2025. While, in 2026, the program was extended to 8,559 beneficiaries and the benefit was increased from Q250.00 to Q325.00 per month.
The congressman assured that there are serious doubts about the management of the registration of the program’s beneficiaries and stated that the situation could lend itself to clientelistic and electoral purposes in the coming months. especially due to the alleged participation of the head of Mides, Abelardo Pinto, as a candidate for elected office, which is why they will continue to follow up on the matter.
Finally, it was agreed that a new meeting between all parties will be held on July 22 to find out if any progress has been made in the registration process.