2023-09-02 03:33:00
Bernardo Arévalo, president-elect of the Republic of Guatemala / Photo: AFP
The president-elect of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, warned this Friday about the existence of a plan “to break the constitutional order” and “mock” the will expressed by the people at the polls, and urged the unity of all social sectors to “defeat the coup forces”, while the OAS questioned the “judicialization” of the elections and the suspension of the Movement Seed.
“They have launched a plan to break the constitutional order and violate democracy. These actions constitute a coup that is promoted by the institutions that should guarantee justice in our country, headed by Attorney General Consuelo Porras,” denounced Arévalo.
The winner of the second round of Sunday August 20 regretted that there are those who refuse to accept his triumphdespite the fact that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) made the results official, with which the next institutional step should be the inauguration of the new president, scheduled for January 14.
Arévalo also accused of being part of the plan to the head of the The Special Prosecutor against Impunity FECI, Rafael Curruchichethe seventh judge of Criminal Instance, Fredy Orellana, and the Board of Directors of Congress.
Porras is the chief prosecutor and, along with Curruchiche, who leads the investigation against the Seed Movementwere included in 2021 in a list of “corrupt” figures from Central America to the United States.
Arévalo’s party is being investigated for alleged irregularities with the documentation of affiliations and the leadership of Congress declared the party caucus as independent.
“There is a group of politicians and corrupt officials refusing to accept this result”, indicated Arévalo in a press conference that he shared with the elected vice-president, Karin Herrera, in a cultural center in the capital.
After that conference, Arévalo published a three-page statement on his X account (exTwitter) in which he reiterated and expanded on what was said before the press.
For Arévalo, this coup plan “it is taking place step by stepthrough spurious actions”.
The legislator called on the people of Guatemala, civil society, businessmen and workers, the popular movement, churches, indigenous authorities, legitimate political forces, students, academia, and youth to “unite forces in defense of democracy”.
“I call for us to unite to defeat the coup forces that intend to keep us submerged in corruption, impunity and poverty, to defend the most sacred political right and the most effective weapon of free people: the vote”, Arevalo urged.
And he outlined that it is “legitimate resistance of the people for the protection and defense of the rights and guarantees consigned in the Constitution”.
He warned that he still has the process “four months ahead” and took it for granted that on the way to his inauguration there will be “attempts of a different nature, such as coercion of officials, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, magistrates, registry officials ”, all “in a shameful way”.
“We alert the people of Guatemala that there are still 4 months left for the inauguration4 months during which these political mafias They will try to consummate the coup”, he insisted, and expressed that “it is not about building political pacts, but about building a national unity to reject the corrupt once and for all”.
The Central American country is experiencing a convulsed electoral process / Photo: AFP
Justice first suspended the legal status of Semillathen announced imminent arrests of its leaders and finally extended to Congress the request for the suspension of the party.
Porras also filed an amparo before the Constitutional Court for the demonstrations against him in the streets and on the networks.
Semilla and Arévalo received the support of the OAS, the IACHR, the United States and the European Unionwho denounced the electoral interference.
OAS endorsement
The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) approved this Friday a declaration that condemns the “judicialization” of the elections in Guatemala and the suspension of the Movimiento Semilla party of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, who won the polls on August 20.
The OAS “declares its call for the authorities of the state of Guatemala, including the legislative, executive, and judicial, must respect and guarantee the civil and political rights of the people Guatemalan,” the agency said in a statement read by the Chilean representative, Sebastián Kraljevich.
Likewise, the note stressed that “the separation of powers is essential for the exercise of democracy and that the use of the legal system as a tool to intimidate and unduly suspend civil and political rights is not acceptable,” reported the Europa Press news agency.
The OAS Permanent Council showed in the declaration its concern about the “continuous judicialization of the electoral process”, as well as the “Public Ministry’s practice of intimidating the electoral authorities” and the suspension carried out by the General Directorate of the Citizens’ Registry, which “contradicts the principles of representative democracy.”
The Council also echoed the reports of “acts of intimidation against members of the Seed Movement and family members,” which led the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to issue precautionary measures in favor of the president-elect, Bernardo Arévalo.
In this regard, the Permanent Council paid attention to the reports of the European Union election observation mission, while it is also “aware” that the president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, invited the head of the OAS, Luis Almagro, to travel to the country to witness the transition of power.
The Secretary General stressed that the suspension of the Seed Movement “eliminates legal guarantees on which the rule of law is based.
In this sense, he declared that the success of democracy in the country “clearly depends on the president-elect assuming power on January 14.”
Almagro, who accepted Giammattei’s invitation to be present at the inauguration, indicated that any other option than the assumption of the President-elect “will mean an alteration of the constitutional order.”
Semilla’s suspension had been halted on July 13 by the Constitutional Court, which granted a provisional amparo that guaranteed the second round, but which left the investigation by the Public Ministry open.
OAS Permanent Council approves statement “Recent Events in Guatemala” by acclamation #OEAenGuatemala pic.twitter.com/5LhcQCYJrq
— OEA (@OEA_oficial) September 1, 2023
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