Brendan O’Boyle writes in Americas Quarterly on how President Giammattei is, so far, able to hold off calls for resignation despite his attacks on the independence of the judiciary and his government’s catastrophic and grossly negligent response to the pandemic. Giammattei’s purpose, it seems, is to shield and pay back those who have funded his various bids for power. The state is becoming fully co-opted by the corrupt.
One of Latin America’s worst vaccine rollouts. Mounting scandals. National protests calling for his removal. Things do not look like they are going well for Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei.
And yet, even with an approval rating hovering around 20%, Giammattei seems pretty secure in his job right now.
A national strike organized after the firing of anti-graft prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval drew thousands on July 29, with protesters and high-profile figures calling for Giammattei’s resignation.
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While Sandoval’s removal drew anger on the streets, it’s also part of the reason why Giammattei may feel comfortable. The prosecutor’s departure has left few independent figures in the country’s justice system, further weakening already beleaguered efforts to investigate possible corruption by the president and the business and military elites that protect him.
You can read the full piece, including links and photos, here, Despite Protests, Guatemala’s President May Be Stronger than Ever.
Categories: Corruption, Genocide, Guatemala, Human Rights, Impunity, Indigenous peoples, Justice, Legal, Poverty, Violence
Guatemala Solidarity Network 
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