The country is heading towards a constitutional crisis, as the far right continues to try and subvert the results of the 20th August elections.
For more than a week, protesters have blocked, closed, and barricaded the crumbling, pothole-filled highways and roads throughout Guatemala. Despite the threats of the deployment of riot police and the violence from groups that have infiltrated the protests, these demonstrations in defense of democracy and against the nation’s embattled Attorney General Mara Consuelo Porras and Rafael Curruchiche, her anti-immigration prosecutor, show no signs of slowing down. &# 13,
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After Porras and Curruchiche oversaw an intervention into the nation’s democratic process in an effort to cast doubt on the historical victory of the liberal anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo in the August 20 political run-off election, roadblocks have exploded since October 2, increasing from twelve to as many as 140 across the country. &# 13,
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Guatemala’s large protests have spread in support of democracy, in contrast to the riots that broke out on January 6 in the United States and January 8 two years afterward in Brazil( which sought to undermine the democratic order ). Even in the midst of moments of tension, protests have remained calm and joyful. &# 13,
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Aboriginal communities in the nation have been the leaders of the wave of protests. Following the second raid by the nation’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the community leaders of the autonomous Indigenous government 48 Cantones of Totonicapán, which represents the 48 communities in the municipality, demanded protests. The Public Prosecutor’s office was seized as a result of the raid, which was carried out by Judge Fredy Orellana and directed by Curruchiche. &# 13,
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Aboriginal communities across the nation immediately joined the demonstrations, erecting the initial barriers and setting up camp at the Public Prosecutor’s office in Guatemala City. Miguel Angel Manuel Alvarado, a member of Rabinal’s Mayan Ach Indigenous Ancestral Authorities, was one of those who joined to speak for Aboriginal communities. &# 13,
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Manuel Alvarado told The Progressive,” We came to support our brothers and sisters from the 48 Cantones of Totonicapán.” ” Our delegation came here to demand Rafael Curruchiche, Judge Fredy Orellana, and Attorney General Mara Consuelo Porras resign.” &# 13,
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The protests have been labeled” illegal” by Attorney General Porras, who has also requested that the police clear the roads. &# 13,
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Tens of thousands of protesters across the nation have voiced their demands, but Mexican President Alejandro Giammattei has refused, claiming that” foreigners” are to blame. Additionally, he asserted that President-elect Arévalo is to blame for the unrest and urged him to calm things down. &# 13,
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President Giammattei has a history of deceiving the public and lying. This has been brought up by Arrevalo in current interviews. &# 13,
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Arévalo stated in an interview with the Mayan media ConCritaria that” President Giammattei is misinformed or misrepresents the information.” The twenty-first century’s coups d’état are now carried out by magistrates and deputies rather than bayonets. &# 13,
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He continued,” This is a blow against the electoral system and the result at the polls ,” in response to the criticisms of the Democratic order.
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After the results of the June 25 election were made public, Guatemala’s social crisis erupted. &# 13,
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Arévalo’s Movimiento Semilla Party was suspended as a result of alleged irregularities in the formation of the party, according to the Public Prosecutors’ office, just weeks after the results, which would result in another round of voting on August 20. A lower court judge who, according to Mexican law, has no authority over electoral matters issued the fictitious order; but, on October 5, the constitutional court of the nation overruled that court. &# 13,
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Investigators have searched the offices of the nation’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal since the first round of voting, illegally opening boxes containing the ballots from both rounds of elections, and in another raid, seizing official vote tallies in crates designated as” evidence.” The Public Prosecutor’s office is acting in a way that is intended to raise suspicions of election fraud. &# 13,
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The global community has continued to criticize the Public Prosecutors office’s interventions. Luis Almagro, the president of the Organization of American States, demanded on October 10 that the social persecution in Guatemala end and that those who were trying to sabotage the elections respect the outcomes and carry on the transfer of power. &# 13,
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Almagro even criticized Porras for deciding to pursue social repression rather than fight organized crime. &# 13,
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According to Almagro,” We have seen how they have looked into the Semilla party at this time.” ” We have not seen the same capacity for action against organized crime, corruption, and drug traffickers ,” and# 13,” It is incomprehensible.”
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Protests have continued to be quiet. However, the Giammattei Administration has attempted to discredit the demonstrations by claiming that there have been violent and robberies without any supporting evidence. A group of infiltrators attempted to incite violence on Monday as President Giammattei delivered a nationally televised speech denouncing” unusual interference” and disobeying the demands of protesters. &# 13,
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Before destroying the Monument to 200 years of independence, the group of masked people destroyed an altar in the plaza honoring 41 girls who perished in a government protected house fire in 2017. The tourist centers were on fire and almost every window had been broken when the police responded with tear gas, but never before. &# 13,
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This is not the only form of violence that protesters have encountered. &# 13,
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Heavy-armed people carrying AR-15 rifles encountered roadblocks outside the secret city of Cayala, which is located inside the boundaries of Guatemala City. A motorcycle that was blocking the road was run over by an anxious driver days earlier, who then sped off. &# 13,
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Additionally, false information has proliferated on social media in an effort to incite fear and disapproval of protests. Government representatives and another Arévalo detractors have attempted to disseminate false information on social media. &# 13,
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The protests will go on until their demands are satisfied, according to the organizers. &# 13,
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Images of empty grocery stores were posted on X( previously Twitter ), and the president of the nation’s main airport implied that the airport would continue to run out of fuel before retracting his claim. However, Volaris, a Latino airline, announced that flights to Guatemala would be canceled. Additionally, President Giammattei fraudulently claimed that a truck carrying oxygen to the hospital had been taken. &# 13,
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But, protesters assert that they won’t stop until their demands are satisfied. &# 13,
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Manuel Alvarado declares,” We’ll keep joining the fight.” Since the fight will continue if the[ Attorney General Porras ] does not resign, we will keep forming an alliance of Indigenous peoples. # 13 As the far-right continues to try to overturn the August 20 democratic result, the nation is moving closer to a constitutional crisis.
The country is heading towards a constitutional crisis, as the far right continues to try and subvert the results of the 20th August elections.
The crumbling, pothole-filled highways and roads across Guatemala have been shut down, blocked, and barricaded by protesters for more than a week . These protests in defense of democracy and against the country’s embattled Attorney General María Consuelo Porras, and her anti-impunity prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, show no sign of slowing down, despite the threats of the deployment of riot police and the violence from groups that have infiltrated the protests.. . Since October 2, roadblocks have exploded, growing from twelve to as many as 140 across the country after Porras and Curruchiche oversaw an intervention into the country’s democratic process, seeking to cast doubt on the historic victory of the progressive anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo in the August 20 presidential run-off election.. . Unlike the January 6 riots in the United States and the January 8 riots two years later in Brazil, (which sought to undermine the democratic order) Guatemala’s massive protests have spread in defense of democracy. Protests have remained peaceful and joyous amidst moments of tension.. . The leaders of the wave of protests have been the country’s Indigenous communities. The community leaders of the autonomous Indigenous government 48 Cantones of Totonicapán, which represents the 48 communities in the municipality of Totonicpán, called for protests following the fifth raid of the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The raid, which was issued by Judge Fredy Orellana and led by Curruchiche, resulted in the office of Public Prosecutor seizing the official tallies of the first and second rounds of the elections.. . Indigenous communities across the country quickly joined the protests, launching the first roadblocks and an encampment at the main offices of the Public Prosecutor’s office in Guatemala City. Among those who joined to represent the voices of Indigenous communities was Miguel Ángel Manuel Alvarado, a member of the Mayan Achí Indigenous Ancestral Authorities of Rabinal, Baja Verapaz.. . “We came to support our brothers and sisters from the 48 Cantones of Totonicapán,” Manuel Alvarado told The Progressive. “Our delegation came here to demand the resignation of the Attorney General María Consuelo Porras and of Rafael Curruchiche and Judge Fredy Orellana.”. . Attorney General Porras has called the protests “illegal” and called for the police to clear the roads.. . Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has refused to acknowledge the demands of the tens of thousands of protesters across the country, suggesting that “foreigners” are responsible for the protests. He also claimed President-elect Arévalo is responsible for the unrest, calling for him to de-escalate the situation.. . President Giammattei has a history of lying and misinforming the population. Arévalo has pointed this out in recent interviews.. . “President Giammattei is misinformed or misrepresents the information,” Arévalo said in an interview with the Guatemalan media ConCritaria. “The coups d’état of the twenty-first century are no longer carried out with bayonets but with magistrates and deputies.”. . Describing the attacks against the Democratic ordre, he added, “This is a blow against the electoral system and the result at the polls.”. . . Guatemala’s political crisis exploded after the results of the June 25 election were made public.. . Within weeks of the results, which would lead to a second round of voting on August 20, the country’s Public Prosecutor’s office announced the suspension of Arévalo’s Movimiento Semilla Party due to alleged irregularities in the formation of the party. The spurious order came from a lower court judge, who under Guatemalan law has no jurisdiction over electoral issues, however on October 5 the country’s constitutional court superseded that law.. . Since the first round of voting, investigators have raided the offices of the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, illegally opening boxes containing the ballots from both rounds of elections and in another raid, confiscating official vote tallies in crates labeled as “evidence.” The actions of the Public Prosecutor’s office are meant to stoke accusations of fraud in the elections.. . The international community has continued to denounce the interventions of the Public Prosecutors office. On October 10, the President of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro called for an end of the political persecution in Guatemala, demanding that the actors seeking to undermine the elections respect the results and that they continue the transition of power.. . Almagro also criticized Porras for choosing to carry out the political persecution in place of combating organized crime.. . “We have seen at this time how they have investigated the [Semilla] party,” Almagro said. “It is incomprehensible because we have not seen the same capacity for action against organized crime, corruption, and drug traffickers.”. . . Protests have remained peaceful. But the Giammattei Administration has sought to undermine the protests, suggesting without evidence there had been acts of violence and looting. On Monday, as President Giammattei made a nationally televised speech denouncing “foreign interference” and ignoring the demands of protesters, a group of infiltrators sought to provoke violence.. . The group of masked individuals destroyed an altar in the plaza dedicated to forty-one girls who died in a government safe house fire in 2017 before moving on to destroying the Monument to 200 years of independence. Police responded with tear gas, but not before the tourist centers were on fire and nearly every window had been broken.. . This is not the only violence that protesters have faced.. . Roadblocks outside the private city of Cayala, which sits within the limits of Guatemala City, were met by heavily armed individuals carrying AR-15 rifles. Days earlier, an impatient driver ran over a motorcycle that was blocking the road, before quickly speeding away.. . Misinformation has also spread rampantly across social media, seeking to generate fear and a rejection of protests. Government officials and other opponents of Arévalo have sought to spread misinformation on social media.. . Organizers say the protests will continue until their demands are met.. . Images of vacant grocery stores spread across X (formerly Twitter) while the head of the country’s main airport suggested that the airport was going to remain without fuel, before later walking back the statement. But Mexican airline Volaris announced that it will suspend flights to Guatemala. President Giammattei also falsely stated a truck carrying oxygen to a hospital was stolen.. . However, organizers say the protests will continue until their demands are met.. . “We will continue to join the struggle,” Manuel Alvarado says. “We will continue to make the alliance of Indigenous peoples, since the fight will continue if the [Attorney General Porras] does not resign.”
