Presidential Elections: Guatemala’s President: Coup d’état against me underway

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presidential elections
Guatemala’s President: Coup d’état against me underway

According to Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arevalo, corrupt and anti-democratic actors are trying to prevent his swearing-in on January 14. photo

© Moises Castillo/AP

Around two weeks ago, Bernardo Arévalo surprisingly won the presidential elections in Guatemala. He wants to fight widespread corruption. Not everyone seems to like that.

The winner of the presidential election Guatemala’s Bernardo Arévalo has denounced an ongoing “coup d’etat” against him. Corrupt and anti-democratic actors in the judiciary and in politics tried with all means to prevent his swearing-in on January 14, said the social democrat. Arévalo wants to fight widespread corruption in the Central American country. The chief public prosecutor’s office is taking action against him and his party Movimiento Semilla (Movement Seed). The EU and the USA have condemned the action taken against the election winner.

After a surprising entry into the run-off election, Arévalo (64), son of an ex-president, prevailed on August 20 with almost 61 percent of the votes against former First Lady Sandra Torres. Shortly thereafter, his party was suspended by a judge for alleged irregularities. The Parliamentary Executive declared the Semilla deputies independent.

Arévalo called on Guatemalan society to defend democracy. Four months remained before he took office. The anti-democratic forces would try to complete the coup by then. Among other things, Attorney General Consuelo Porras was behind it, he claimed.

There are also said to have been assassination plans against Arévalo. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington then called on the government of Guatemala to take measures to protect Arévalos. On Monday he wants to hold a first transitional meeting with the outgoing head of state Alejandro Giammattei.

dpa

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