2023-06-28 17:48:00
On Sunday, June 25, everything pointed to a quiet day, with no problems at the polling stations in the municipality of Chinautla, a whole civic party. However, the atmosphere began to become tense as the results of the polling stations progressed, since they gave the niece of former mayor Arnoldo Medrano, who is serving a sentence for a corruption case, the winner.
Five hours after the electoral event concluded, a group of people who were standing in front of the school complex, located in the Jocotales neighborhood, Chinautla, broke into the schools where the voting centers were installed and blocked the exits to prevent the electoral boxes came out.
Despite the intervention of the National Civil Police (PNC), the riots continued all day on Monday, June 26, in front of the same educational centers, the Municipality of Chinautla, and the El Molino neighborhood. In the morning hours of Monday, a group of people stood in front of the municipality and threatened to burn the facilities.
“We don’t want Mrs. Liz, she never helps us and it was learned that in the voting centers they found uncounted pink ballots, that to favor the current mayoress, who is the niece of the corrupt Medrano. That family has been in the muni for more than 36 years, we don’t want it,” said one of the protesters.
Demonstrations and blockades
That same day, a group of people entered the school facilities, located several boxes with electoral supplies, including the ballot papers, and upon reviewing them, they assured that they had not been counted. They denounced that this action was to favor Brenda Elizabeth del Cid Medrano, current mayor of that municipality and who preliminary won the elections for the third time.
The riots (road blockade and burning of ballot papers) lasted until after 10:00 p.m. on Monday after the intervention of the Special Police Forces. During the operation, six people were arrested, three have already been prosecuted.
Víctor Zuleta, candidate for mayor of that municipality for the Humanist party, was in some of the demonstrations, where he assured a possible fraud to endorse Del Cid Medrano again. “The problem is more than 36 years old, that is, since Arnoldo Medrano became mayor. We cannot let these people get away with it (…) We are going to demonstrate for all the irregularities and we are going to ask that the process be annulled due to the blatant fraud that Liz Medrano committed, what a shame that she never showed her face. She used money from the commune to campaign. I am going to reach the last instances”, added Zuleta.
Deputy Director General of the PNC Adal Rodríguez and Deputy Director General of Operations David Boteo, talk with the protesters who are in zone 6 of Chinautla.#ElectionsGT2023#ProtegerYServir pic.twitter.com/Bl0k2N3iON
— PNC of Guatemala (@PNCofGuatemala) June 27, 2023
Complaints in the MP
Rony González, candidate for the National Unity of Hope (UNE), also filed a complaint with the Public Ministry (MP) for anomalies in the voting centers. “The people rose up because they are tired of corruption and little transparency in the municipality and that the problems of water, transportation and roads are never solved,” he declared on social networks.
The Departmental Electoral Board of Guatemala announced that it is analyzing the necessary measures to control the inconveniences, ensure the safety and protection of citizens and electoral equipment. “For this reason, the decision has been made to postpone the vote count hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 27,” he said in a statement.
The protesters denounced the lack of attention of the current mayor to address the problem of drinking water (Colonias has not had water in its jets since last December 31), public transport services (the majority of the population uses collective taxis or walks to use the Transmetro) and the lack of maintenance on the roads.
UNREST IN CHINAUTLA
???? Boulevard La Pedrera zone 6 is still affected
✅ https://t.co/TNs6NexnO9
More security forces advance. There are detainees.
Video scenes: CBV.
— Amilcar Montejo (@amilcarmontejo) June 27, 2023
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