Arr, the landlubbers in Guatemala be makin' a fuss 'bout the meddling o' the court in th' election!
2023-07-24
Arrr, ye scurvy dogs in Guatemala be takin' to the streets to show yer displeasure 'gainst the actions o' the government who be harmin' Bernardo Arévalo's leftward Semilla party. Aye, a fine display o' yer rebellious spirit, me hearties!
Hundreds of Guatemalans took to the streets in protest against the interference of courts and prosecutors in the upcoming presidential election. Bernardo Arévalo, a progressive candidate, had his Seed Movement party suspended and the country’s election tribunal offices raided after the certification of first-round election results, which put Arévalo in the runoff against conservative Sandra Torres. According to Guatemalan law, political parties cannot be suspended during an election campaign, and U.S. officials have condemned these actions as a threat to democracy. The demonstrators demanded free elections and an end to the harassment by President Alejandro Giammattei and the attorney general. Last week, the offices of Arévalo's party were raided as part of an investigation into alleged wrongdoing in the party’s formation. Arévalo denounced the raid as illegal and as part of a political persecution to intimidate him and derail the electoral process. Guatemalan electoral authorities had previously made allegations of state actors attempting to interfere with the presidential election. The certification of the election results was delayed for two weeks, and the Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into the party's gathering of necessary signatures in the past. Prosecutors initially obtained a suspension of the party’s legal status, but the Constitutional Court granted a preliminary injunction blocking it. As part of the investigation, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal was searched for a second time, leading the tribunal to seek an injunction from the Constitutional Court to protect the electoral process.