2023-07-13 12:30:00
Bernardo Arvalo de León, leader of the Movimiento Semilla party, which came second in the presidential elections held on June 25, 2023 in Guatemala Esteban Biba | EFE
Some 200 people gathered outside the court to denounce an alleged coup
13 jul 2023 . Updated at 12:30 p.m.
In a span of 60 chaotic minutes, the Guatemalan Supreme Electoral Tribunal made official this Wednesday the advancement of the former first lady Sandra Torres Casanova and the academic Bernardo Arvalo de León to the ballot (second round) on August 20, a decision that took 17 given by judicial resources.
However, almost at the same time, the Public Ministry (MP, Prosecutor’s Office) reported that Árvalo de León’s party, Movimiento Semilla (which came second in the presidential elections held on June 25) was criminally canceled by order of a judge of the Guatemalan Judicial Organism.
We have not been notified or we do not know. We were in a plenary meeting and we are not aware at this time of the scope of the resolution, assured Irma Palencia, president of the court, regarding the possible suspension of Semilla.
Therefore, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal said it was unaware of this for the moment and ordered the second presidential round for the next August 20as scheduled in the electoral calendar.
Today the news is that the results for the second round have been made official, added the magistrate Gabriel Aguilera, after consulting the journalists about what would happen to Semilla.
Within 24 hours
The investigation by the Public Ministry, which can leave the elections up in the air, was led by prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, sanctioned by the US in 2022, accused of creating false cases against ex-authorities.
According to the resolution of the criminal court, disclosed by local media, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal has a period of 24 hours to obey the ruling on the suspension of Semilla or otherwise it could be accused of not complying with the law. However, according to other positions of experts in constitutional and electoral matters, the Guatemalan electoral regulations also establish that no party can be canceled while the elections are underway.
Curruchiche indicated that the decision is due to a case called Seed Corruption, for allegedly false signatures, in an unprecedented accusation in Guatemalasince according to local and international sectors had warned in recent weeks, the courts and Justice should not interfere in the results of the polls.
The court that suspended Semilla is the same one that was in charge of one of the cases against the journalist Jos Rubn Zamora Marroqun, in prison since July 29, 2022, just five days after launching strong criticism of the president’s inner circle. , Alejandro Giammattei.
Árvalo de León had managed to advance to the runoff after surprisingly obtaining second place in the elections on June 25, behind former first lady Sandra Torres. The officialization of the results was pending after the Constitutional Court, the highest court in the Central American country, ordered a new review of the electoral records on July 1, which took place from July 4 to 6.
Meanwhile, outside the court, some 200 people have gathered to denounce an alleged coup after seed suspension.
Filed in: Guatemala
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