2023-08-11 08:05:06
The report on the visit and meetings of Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), which took place from August 1 to 4 and was presented yesterday, is in itself a justified alert of suspicious actions by State officials. against the ongoing democratic process of elections. As such, it does not constitute a reason for the Executive to show complacency, since the mere pronouncement confirms the existence of threats against legal and political citizen guarantees never before registered in the current democratic era.
According to Almagro’s report, the Guatemalan Executive promised not to interfere in the electoral process and to hand over power on January 14, 2024. Said declaration, in light of the intolerances and breaches caused in the mandate of Alejandro Giammattei, rather It could seem like an anticipated wash-basin with respect to potential subsequent actions by entities such as the Public Ministry (MP) and the Judiciary, from which it could be easily separated without failing to such a position through arguments of formal autonomy. However, Almagro’s report is not an endorsement, but a continental confirmation of the complaint that led to the visit.
“Let there be no doubt that the situation in Guatemala is a test for this body and for the Democratic Charter,” said the aforementioned senior official before the delegates of member countries who attended the presentation. And as an example, he points out: “There are more than a dozen actions against the TSE, with the transmission system —of data—, arrest warrants, calls to testify. This constitutes an issue, the TSE cannot be harassed”. However, there is total uncertainty about the course of previous actions endorsed by a judge.
The OAS Secretary General met with government authorities, electoral magistrates, MP officials, presidential candidates for the second round, and citizen sectors, with the purpose of having a multilateral outlook and avoiding any danger of bias. This is reflected in the report, which also has inputs from the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), in which the continental entity participates and which will remain in the country until the replacement of the government.
There are important recommendations to shield the process and stop claims of alleged fraud, such as those put forward after June 25 and that led to a double count in which it was shown that the margin of error was less than 1 percent and without major incidence in the reported results. The OAS recommends recording document number four in photographs, which is where the votes obtained by each political organization at each polling station are recorded, and delivering —by the presidents of the Electoral Boards— copies of the document certifying the results, as a multiple padlock to strengthen scrutiny. This will allow, Almagro pointed out, “that the parties that compete in the second round have physical evidence about the results, even above technological evidence, and clear up any doubts that may exist or exist about the results transmission system.”
Member States expressed their concern about the electoral situation, the judicial harassment against the TSE and officials who enjoy the right to a trial, actions that contravene the spirit of the laws and threaten constitutional provisions, for which they must cease and that, if they hinder the elections or the relief of power, could be classified as attacks against the republican order.
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