Guatemala’s elected president, Bernardo Arevalo, denounced the coup by the judicial authorities, which he described as “the political mafia entrenched in state institutions,” to prevent the transfer of power.
He added: “There is a group of corrupt politicians and officials who refuse to accept this result, and have implemented a plan to destroy the constitutional order and attack democracy. He said during a press conference that these actions constitute a coup promoted by the institutions that should ensure justice in our country.
In this sense, Arevalo pointed out the responsibilities directly to the Prosecutor María Consuelo Porras, the Head of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to Combat Impunity, Rafael Corroche, and the 7th Judge of the First Criminal Court of Guatemala, Freddy Orellana, as well as the Congressman. board of directors.
Arevalo said there was a “coup underway” and that the “apparatus of justice” was being used to “violate justice itself” and “deceive the popular will freely expressed at the ballot box” through “false, illegitimate and illegal” means.
He stressed that “the people’s resistance to protect and defend the rights and guarantees stipulated in our Constitution is legitimate,” calling on residents to take action, adding that the necessary “legal and political measures” have already been taken to “ensure respect for the popular will.”
In response to questions from the press, Arevalo said he felt “satisfied that the international community” “took a stand in defense of democracy,” because “it understands the aggression that was carried out against the Similla (Seed) movement.”
The president-elect stressed that the process is still “four months away.” “During these four months, we are witnessing attempts of various natures (…). Coercion against officials, pressure on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and judges [e] He explained that the registration officials were shameful.
He added, “It is not about building political pacts: it is about building national unity to reject the corrupt once and for all,” adding that it is necessary to put an end to this “corrupt elite that is weakening the constitution today.”
According to electoral data, Arevalo – the candidate of the suspended Similla movement – received more than 60.9% of the votes in the second round of the presidential elections, allowing him to begin his term on January 14, 2024.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights stated that the resolution comment The registration of the Simela movement “was intended to prevent the inauguration of party members who were elected to the presidency and vice-president.”
Since Semilla achieved surprising results – compared to what opinion polls had predicted – in the first electoral round, on June 25, the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office has taken several measures to render the results ineffective or to give legitimacy to the political formation, measures that have been met with condemnation from the public. Before the international community.
