Since the 1960s, he was a member of the far-right National Liberation Movement political party (Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional or MLN), alleged to have started the use of death squads against communists. He was also Minister of Education under the military regime of Arana Osorio (1970–1974) and defended Guatemala before the United Nations when the international community isolated the military regime of Lucas García (1978–1982) for its gross human rights violations.
In the 1980s, he formed the National Renewal Party and joined a coalition with Guatemalan Christian Democracy in the 1982 election. Maldonado placed third in a blatantly rigged election, which he may have won had the contest been free and fair,[5] which was followed by a military coup. In 1985, he was again a presidential candidate for his party but placed seventh out of eight candidates and had only one seat in Congress. He would continue to hold numerous public posts, including that of Foreign Minister.
Later, Maldonado served as a judge on the Constitutional Court judge on three occasions.[citation needed]
One week after his appointment as Vice President in May 2015, protesters sought his resignation because he had overturned the guilty verdict in the Ríos Montt trial.[6]
2006–2011: Magistrate of the Constitutional Court (incl. 2006–2007, President)
2015: Vice President of the Republic
2015: President of the Republic
Vice President of Guatemala
Maldonado served as Vice President of Guatemala from his selection to the position following the resignation of Roxana Baldetti on May 14, 2015, until his accession as president on September 3, 2015.
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