The Order of the Quetzal () is Guatemala's highest honor.
History and award conditions Established in 1936, it is bestowed by the Government of Guatemala. The award acknowledges officials of nations, organizations and other entities whose artistic, civic, humanitarian, or scientific works merit special recognition.
Grades Collar: Golden chain around the neck Grand Cross: Badge hanging from a sash from right shoulder to left hip and star on the left chest Grand Officer: Badge hanging from a sash around the neck and non-enamelled starGrand officer's Star, World Medals Index - Guatemala: Order of the Quetzal on the left chest. Commander: Badge hanging from a sash around the neck Officer: Badge hanging from a ribbon with rosette on the left chest Knight: Badge hanging from a ribbon without rosette on the left chest. The badge is not golden.
Insignia The badge is a ten-pointed cross with five branches and a medallion representing the coat of arms of Guatemala. The branches are light blue with a wide dark blue border. On the white ring is inscribed "AL MERITO GUATEMALA". The ribbon is light blue with thin white borders.
Recipients YearAwarded to1936Benito Mussolini1937Maximiliano Hernández Martínez1949Edwin Jackson Kyle1950Juan Domingo Perón1956Chiang Kai-Shek1959Golda Meir1958Roberto González Goyri1960Flavio Herrera1960Frederic Rosengarten1960General Manuel Francisco Sosa Avila1961Paul Carpenter Standley1962 François Durafour1962Martha Bolaños de Prado1963Johannes Marré1963Edwin M. Shook1968Augustus Ledyard Smith1975J. Eric S. Thompson1976Carmen Lind Pettersen1977Augusto Pinochet1977Francis Robicsek1978Josefina Alonzo Martínez1980Tatiana Proskouriakoff1980Kjell Magne Bondevik1985Lee Teng-hui1987Richard von Weizsäcker1987Julio Abril Valdez1991Yuri KnorozovLa guerra fría y el desciframiento de la escritura maya1992Fredrick Chien1995Michel Gabaudan1995Diego Molina Flores1998Teodoro Palacios Flores2001Jacques DioufAcuerdo Gubernativo 459-2001.2003René Lara2004Michael D. Coecondecoración al arqueólogo Michael D. Coe 2004Jorge Briz2005 Isabel Gutiérrez de Bosch1957, 2009Alberto Fuentes Mohr2009Juan Carlos Plata 2009Fidel Castro2010Carlos CastresanaGobierno condecora al magistrado español Carlos Castresana con la Orden del Quetzal2011Rodolfo Mac Donald2011Leonel FernándezPresidente de República Dominicana Leonel Fernández es condecorado con la Orden del Quetzal 2011Stephen D. HoustonHouston receives Guatemala's highest order2011Julia Isabel Urrutia Castellanos 2013Ricardo Arjona2013National Geographic Society‘The Storm God enters the sky’: Archaeologists uncover a 1,400-year-old sculpture of Mayan gods in Guatemala, National Post2013Rotary Foundation 2013Michael Wiley McCord, M.D.2014Luis von AhnVon Ahn recibe Orden del Quetzal en grado de Gran Comendador2015Luis Argueta2017Fernando Mazariegos, Edmond Mulet, Richard HansenPrensa Libre, 10 Marzo 2017, p. 12,352017Tsai Ing-wen2017Vehbi Esgel Etensel ?José Antonio Padilla Segura ?Julio María Sanguinetti ?Rafael Arévalo Martínez ?Raphael Girard ?Alfredo Stroessner ?Jorge Rafael Videla ?Sophia of Spain and Juan Carlos I of Spain2020Vicente GonzalezCongressman Vicente Gonzalez receives Guatemala's highest honor by Ronnie Marley, CBS4 Valley Central, 20 January 20202022Andrés Manuel López Obrador2023Fredy Archila2024Armando Cáceres EstradaOrquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Guatemala2025Luis AlmagroAlfredo MacKenney
References World Medals Index - Guatemala: Order of the Quetzal