Regime seeks to remove immunity of President & VP-elect

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November 20, 2023


** Guatemala Election Watch #42
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Guatemalan regime seeks to remove immunity of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo and VP-elect Karin Herrera, to then possibly file bogus criminal charges against them

On August 20, 2023, President-elect Bernardo Arevalo & VP-elect Karin Herrera (of the Semilla Party) won the elections. They are slated to assume the Presidency and control of executive branch of government on January 14, 2024.

Since well before August 20, the Pacto de Corruptos (‘Covenant of the Corrupt’) government and traditional elites of Guatemala – longtime “democratic allies” of the U.S., Canada, E.U., World Bank and transnational corporations – have been trying to block, or overthrow the results.

1 month, 24 days until Jan.14, 2024 transfer of power

Stay tuned … This is not over

Guatemala's Public Prosecutor requests withdrawal of immunity from prosecution of Bernardo Arevalo and Karin Herrera

The Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) filed six requests for impeachment, seeking the authorization of a criminal investigation against the elected presidential pair and deputies who spoke in favor of the San Carlos movement, which rejected the imposition of Walter Mazariegos as President of the USAC.

November 17, 2023, by Alexander Valdéz
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President-Elect Bernardo Arévalo and Vice-President-Elect Karin Herrera; Prensa Comunitaria

The Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) filed a request for impeachment at the Criminal Management office of the Courts Tower, against the elected president Bernardo Arévalo and the elected vice-president Karin Herrera, as well as the deputies Samuel Pérez and Raúl Amílcar Barrera Robles, of the Semilla party; Carlos Barreda, of the VOS party; and Adán Pérez y Pérez, of the Winaq party.

As anticipated by the investigating entity, the petitions to investigate the elected presidential pair and the deputies were made within the case fabricated by the Prosecutor's Office for Crimes against the Cultural Heritage of the Nation, against the resistance of the University of San Carlos (USAC) that rejected the imposition of Walter Mazariegos as rector.

The request to investigate the officials is based solely on publications on social networks, in which the accused are in favor of the resistance takeover of the USAC, which arose as a result of fraud in the election of the university authority.

"Following up on the 'USAC Takeover Case: Political Spoils', the MP, through the Prosecutor's Office for Crimes against the Cultural Heritage of the Nation, filed six requests for the processing of the proceedings for the withdrawal of pre-trial against six people," the MP indicates in the social network X.

Last Thursday, the Prosecutor's Office conducted 31 raids and announced 27 arrest warrants against students, deans of faculties of the University of San Carlos, lawyers, activists and the former Human Rights Prosecutor, Jordán Rodas.

Among the orders issued were the names of student leaders, professors and deans who were members of the General Coordinator of Students of the USAC, a group that denounced and opposed the illegal election of Mazariegos as de facto president.

MP criminalized the university movement

In this case, the MP considers that the university takeover arose as dissatisfaction when Jordán Rodas was not elected as a candidate. Actions that, according to the prosecutor, fall under the figure of the crimes of depredation of cultural property, illicit association and influence peddling.

"Since those dates, these actions prevented the entrance to the University of the authorities, teachers, workers as well as all the students of the different faculties that make up the central campus of the University," said the prosecutor Sanchez.

Walter Mazariegos became the president of the USAC through a process that was denounced as fraudulent. The elections to choose the person who would occupy the position were scheduled for April 27, 2022, but due to the presence of protesters it was postponed to May.

On May 14, 2022, USAC president election fraud was committed. Mazariegos was benefited and promoted with the INNOVA USAC slate, with 72 votes and the participation of 17 electoral bodies.

This action generated unrest in the university community that rose up and took the USAC in protest to oppose Mazariegos taking over as head of that house of studies.

Mazariegos was included this year in the list of corrupt and anti-democratic actors published by the United States. He is accused of "distorting democratic processes or institutions by accepting the position of rector of USAC in 2022 after a fraudulent process".

Failure to comply with OAS resolution

Last Monday, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) issued a new resolution due to the anti-democratic actions in the country. In it, it "denounces the attempts by the Public Ministry to discredit and prevent a peaceful transition of power, which undermine the democratic process and Guatemala's commitments under the Inter-American Democratic Charter".

In addition, it urges the Executive, Judicial and Legislative bodies and the MP to prevent or stop acts of intimidation against electoral officials, the Movimiento Semilla party, elected authorities and that electoral material be respected.

Electoral coup d’etat: ‘Death by a 1000 cuts’

It is impossible to keep up with the ‘death by a 1000 cuts’ attacks being carried out by the ‘covenant of the corrupt’ government and traditional elites against the victory of President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and VP-elect Karin Herrera of the Semilla Party.

Rights Action calls for Americans and Canadians to keep sharing these informations widely (including media outlets), and to contact your Senators, Members of Congress and Parliamentarian, urge them to publicly support the Semilla Party and President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and VP-elect Karin Herrera, and to support calls for the main coup plotters to resign: Attorney General Consuelo Porras, special prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, Judge Fredy Orellana.

U.S. Senate: [link removed]
U.S. House: [link removed]
Canadian Parliament: [link removed]

More information

Rights Action’s “Guatemala Election Watch” alerts (www.rightsaction.org/emails)
NISGUA (Network in Solidarity with People of Guatemala): www.nisgua.org; [link removed]
GHRC (Guatemalan Human Rights Commission): www.ghrc-usa.org; [link removed]
Breaking the Silence: www.breakingthesilenceblog.com, [link removed]
Festivales Solidarios @festivalesgt; [link removed]
Prensa Comunitaria @PrensaCommunitar; [link removed]

Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)

To support land and environmental defenders, and human rights, justice and democracy defense struggles in Honduras and Guatemala, make check to "Rights Action" and mail to:
* U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
* Canada: Box 82858, RPO Cabbagetown Toronto, ON, M5A 3Y2

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