2023-12-22 05:23:54
Salvador Paiz
2023 is almost over. It was a year of great challenges for our nation, worrying setbacks and important learnings. As this is my last column of the year, I think it is an opportune time to reflect on what 2023 left us.
Guatemala, as a nation, causes self-inflicted wounds. Despite promises and the wide availability of resources, actual investment in road infrastructure has been very low, constraining our mobility and leaving it vulnerable to landslides and unforeseen challenges.
The corruption perpetuated by certain bad actors represents a plundering of our own future as a nation. We shoot ourselves in the foot by questioning the soundness of our democratic system. And we flagellate ourselves with suffocating blockades that also scare away foreign investment and tourism. As if education was so good, we closed USAC on behalf of the students.
These are just some of the many examples of the damage we cause ourselves in 2023. We Guatemalans elected Bernardo Arévalo and Karin Herrera as the presidential duo. However, the Public Ministry insists on questioning the legitimacy of the process.
Additionally, it questions the process of creation and financing of the political party Movimiento Semilla. The democratic process suffered blows and attacks: from the purchase of the system, the candidates being removed through “” and, now, even the harassment of the Vote Receiving Boards and Electoral Boards. All of this casts a dark shadow on what historically was a robust and functional democratic process.
Given this change in perception, the question remains: What changes will we demand in the name of democracy, and how will these affect the integrity of our electoral system?
The election of political figures is an increasingly thorny issue. The amalgamation of kleptocrats and narcopoliticians is institutionalized, and the responsibility falls on all Guatemalans for having favored them with the vote (with the aggravating circumstance that we are obliged to elect deputies by list and not individually).
Although 2023 brought new leaders, the re-election of questionable figures poses its own challenges. The faint hope lies in the possibility that among those elected there are honest and brave actors, willing to begin a necessary process of purification.
Our institutionality is hanging by a thread, and we must continue to defend it. Let us always remember that the interaction of checks and balances is essential for the healthy functioning of any republican democracy.
However, not everything is bleak and there is a slight ray of hope. The country’s finances record an increase in collection to Q94.8 billion. But, unfortunately, these resources seem largely destined for spending without a strategic vision of building the country.
The 96.6% budget execution forecast by the Ministry of Finance demands the crucial question: How are these funds being used to improve the quality of life of Guatemalans? Ultimately, Guatemala faces a crossroads. The country of eternal potential must decide whether Guatemalans will take concrete steps to address systemic problems.
It is not just about demonstrating against current problems. That’s an endless hamster wheel. Addressing systemic problems means addressing their roots: the identified bottlenecks, corruption and narcopolitics.
As we close the chapter on 2023, I invite you all to look back on the year. In the midst of adversity, lies the opportunity to act and resolve the differences that polarize us. Amid challenges and hopes, Guatemala’s true potential continues to wait to be unlocked by the hands of those willing to build a brighter future.
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