James Ernesto Morales Cabrera (locally [ɟʝimi eɾˈnesto moˈɾales kaˈβɾeɾa]; born 18 March 1969) is a Guatemalan politician, actor, and comedian who served as the 50th president of Guatemala from 2016 to 2020.

[4] By the time he was ten years old, he and his brother Sammy accompanied their grandfather to sell bananas and used-clothing at the market in Santa Lucia Milpas Altas.

[3] Morales also holds a master's degree in strategic studies with a specialization in security and defense from Mariano Gálvez University.

[8][9] In 2011, he ran as a mayoral candidate in Mixco in the Guatemala City suburbs for the small right-wing Action for National Development party.

[3] He identifies as a nationalist, supports the death penalty, opposes abortion and legalized drugs, and denies that a genocide against the Ixil Maya took place.

[11][12][6] He was initially considered an outsider but surprisingly led the field in the first round of the election, qualifying for a runoff alongside former First Lady Sandra Torres.

[14] During the first days of the new administration, a request for a preliminary trial was introduced against the newly appointed Minister of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing, Sherry Ordóñez, because she was a state contractor.

[19][20][21][22] In August 2017, Morales ordered the expulsion of Colombian Iván Velásquez, commissioner of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), after it began "investigating claims that his party took illegal donations, including from drug-traffickers" and asked Congress to "strip him of immunity from prosecution.

[28] In September 2017, it was revealed that the Ministry of Defense, headed by Williams Mansilla, had been paying President Morales a $7,300 per month bonus since December 2016, in addition to his regular salary.

[29] The acquisition of services and luxury items for the president using public monies by the government caused controversy, although he indicated not being personally involved in those expenses.

[30] A former cabinet minister accused Morales of having sexually abused young female public workers with the complicity of other government officials.