Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Guatemala

The Good Samaritan: compassion and protection

Drawn from the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), the parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a traveller left for dead who is rescued by a stranger that tends to him and sees to his care. Beyond its religious context, it carries a universal message: the moral duty to help others in danger, through compassion and altruism.

Inspired by this principle, many so-called Good Samaritan laws have been enacted around the world to protect those who assist in good faith during an emergency from legal action. The exact scope of that protection, however, varies from one jurisdiction to another: here is what the law applicable to your region provides.

Statute citation

Governing act Art. 156 of the Guatemalan Criminal Code (Decree No. 17-73) — "omisión de auxilio" (failure to render aid), under the offences of exposing persons to danger.
Scope of protection Any person who finds a lost or helpless child under ten, or an injured, disabled or endangered person, and fails to render the necessary aid according to the circumstances — only when able to do so without personal risk.
Duty to rescue Yes
Penalty for failure to assist Fine of 25 to 200 quetzales (fine only).
AED liability protection No
Legal duty to rescue applies

Your protection under the law

Guatemala's Criminal Code (Decree 17-73) frames rescue as a demand of humanity: its article 156 pursues not the person who helps, but the one who refuses. The duty reaches only what can be done without personal risk, so that a Guatemalan who helps in good faith, within their means, acts fully in accordance with the law.

Duty to rescue

In Guatemala a real duty to help exists: anyone who finds a lost or helpless child under ten, or an injured, disabled or endangered person, and fails to render the necessary aid, commits the offence of failure to render aid, punishable by a fine. The penalty is modest, but its message is clear: before a life at risk, indifference is not a neutral choice but a wrong the law rebukes.

Why training matters

The law names the duty; training provides the means to fulfil it. Wanting to help a drowning child or a collapsing neighbour counts for little if the hands do not know what to do. Learning CPR and first aid lets a Guatemalan move from good intention to the right action — compressing, clearing the airway, supporting the one who is fading — in the minutes when everything is decided. To train is, quite simply, to be ready.