Arrr! Guatemalan landlubbers pillage the den of a scallywag, a candidate bein' left o' the political sea!
2023-07-21
Arrr, ye scallywags from Guatemala be raidin' the offices o' Movimiento Semilla, the ship o' presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo, a fine left-wing party. Avast ye, mateys, the landlubbers be causin' quite the ruckus!
In a raid reminiscent of the days of pirates, Guatemalan agents and police raided the offices of presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo's Seed Movement party. The raid was part of an investigation into alleged wrongdoing in the party's formation. A lawyer and party member confirmed the search for documents, which was also confirmed by the Attorney General's Office. Arévalo, in his best pirate impression, denounced the raid as illegal and claimed it was part of a political persecution carried out by a corrupt minority. He accused them of trying to intimidate and derail the electoral process in an attempt to topple democracy. Prior to the raid, Guatemalan electoral authorities had alleged that state actors were attempting to interfere with the presidential election. They sought court protection for the electoral process. The political system in Guatemala has been in chaos since Arévalo unexpectedly placed second in the initial round of voting, setting up a runoff against conservative former first lady Sandra Torres. Last month's certification of the results was delayed, and the Attorney General's Office launched an investigation into the party's signatures for formation. The party initially had its legal status suspended, but the Constitutional Court granted an injunction blocking the suspension. As part of the investigation, agents also searched the Supreme Electoral Tribunal for a second time, leading the tribunal to seek an injunction to protect the electoral process. Arévalo is scheduled to face Torres in the runoff election on August 20, as they vie to succeed President Alejandro Giammattei.