Guatemala’s electoral authorities this Monday declared the validity of the second round of elections held last August 20, won by the seed movement, awarding the positions of president-elect and vice-president to the sociologist Bernardo Arévalo de León and the scientist and university professor Karin Herrera Aguilar. The official release of the results comes as a counterpoint to the day, as the party, which won the polls with 61% of the valid votes and a speech rejecting corruption, has been provisionally suspended.
The Citizens’ Register of the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), a body dependent on the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), on Monday suspended the legal status of the Movimiento Semilla party by order of criminal judge Fredy Orellana, who the United States has labeled as a corrupt and undemocratic actor. According to experts interviewed by EL PAÍS, the decision will have no impact on Arévalo’s presidential nomination, although it will wear down his party’s legal teams and lead to greater insecurity in a country plagued by a rise in authoritarianism and anti-Semitism in recent years Prosecution of actors was concerned and critical voices against corruption. The president-elect, who defeated former First Lady Sandra Torres in the Aug. 20 election, wowed a majority of Guatemalan voters with a strong anti-corruption message.
So far, the electoral authority has refused to accept a criminal judge’s decision alleging unlawfulness and interference with the TSE’s mission. Much water has flowed since July 21 when registrar Ramiro Muñoz refused to comply with an order issued by the State Ministry over alleged falsifications in the process of joining supporters to form the political party, which he believed to be illegal. Last week, the State Department announced a criminal case against Muñoz, requesting that he be stripped of his immunity to prosecute for abnormalities in the registration of the party that ran rancher Carlos Pineda for the presidency.
Several lawyers accused Judge Orellana’s order of being unlawful, as the electoral law stipulates that no political organization may be dissolved during an electoral process. In his resolution, the Chancellor states that since the second round on August 20, there has been no obstacle to complying with Judge Orellana’s order and that President-elect Bernardo Arévalo remains independent. Semilla can now bring an action for annulment before the electoral court, which is why the judges have refrained from commenting on the issue.
Arévalo is the elected president and the party’s suspension “has no effect,” attorney Oswaldo Samayoa told ELPAÍS. At the political level, this is putting more strain on both legal departments and public opinion, which recognize the prosecutor’s statements as valid, says political scientist Luis Mack.
under threats
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Little has been heard from President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, who his campaign team said is suffering from a cold, since winning the elections more than a week ago. Plans for an assassination attempt on him were unveiled last week, even on the same day he won the election by a huge 21-point margin over Torres, who had not said a word for a week after his third loss. Facing threats of possible attacks on their lives and integrity by gangs or state agents, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has granted precautionary measures to presidential election winners.
The President of the TSE this Monday in Guatemala City. Esteban Biba (EFE)
Arévalo’s risks have increased since he surprisingly won his second-round seat in the June 25 general election. According to the complaint he has filed with the IACHR, suspects in killing him include gang members and state officials. The paradox is that the latter, in particular the National Civil Police and Presidential Security, must protect the couple to comply with the precautions of the Pan American Organization.
In addition to the physical attacks, Arévalo is at risk of criminalization as prosecutors serving Rafael Curruchiche, another person designated by US authorities, have raised the possibility of linking the president to a criminal file for alleged forgery bring signatures for the seed movement.
Curruchiche, the prosecutor who managed to get a criminal judge to order the seed movement to be dissolved, is leading further investigations into anti-corruption justice officials and journalists. Several international observation missions, including those of the European Union, have expressed concern that the actions of prosecutors could affect the inauguration of elected officials.
Noting the excessive judicialization of the process, the European mission warned of similar “other possible actions” by the prosecutor’s office and the judiciary to criminalize TSE and suspend Semilla’s legal status, which “would limit voters’ right to their elected.” “. Agents taking possession of their posts.”
The threat of the party’s suspension, which arose in the heat of citizen protests against corruption, has materialized, making much of the population outraged by Attorney General Consuelo Porras’ recent attempts to censor critics on social networks The Citizen protests, in which he asked to resign. On Friday morning, Porras submitted a motion to the Constitutional Court to guarantee President Alejandro Giammattei and the security forces that they would carry out their duties without the “pressure” of criticism on social networks and protests called out that day. This Monday, following the Amparo’s urgency, the court rejected the prosecutor’s request because the citizens’ demonstration took place without endangering public order or the functions of the prosecutor.
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