He was born in Guatemala City, ordained a priest in 1976, and appointed Vicar Apostolic of El Petén in 1996.

[5] On 25 August 1976 he was ordained priest by Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, S.D.B., the Archbishop of Managua, Nicaragua.

He taught at various Salesian education centers in Central America, including the Salesian Vocational Center Rinaldi Santa Tecla (El Salvador), Dominic Savio College of Cartago (Costa Rica) and the Don Bosco Technical Institute (Panama).

[5] Pope John Paul II named him Vicar Apostolic of El Petén on 20 December 1996.

He was consecrated bishop by Cardinal Obando y Bravo on 1 February 1997 in the city of Flores, El Petén.