The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a joint statement in relation to the ongoing abuse of the law by the government to silence critics and anti-corruption activists.
Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office, Congress, and Supreme Court have taken new steps to undermine the rule of law and the rights of Guatemalans, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and Human Rights Watch said today. Foreign governments, including from the United States, the European Union, and Latin America, should remain vigilant and condemn these attempts to overturn the results of the 2023 presidential elections and to persecute opposition leaders and human rights defenders.
On November 16, 2023, the Attorney General’s Office requested 27 arrest warrants against activists, students, academics, human rights defenders, and a member of the Semilla Movement, the political party of President-Elect Bernardo Arévalo. The office also asked the Supreme Court to lift the immunity of Arévalo and Vice-President Elect Karin Herrera so they could be investigated for allegedly promoting a student protest. Meanwhile, members of Congress, whose terms end in January 2024 swiftly appointed a new Supreme Court after a process marred with irregularities.
“Pressure from Indigenous groups, other protesters on the streets, and diplomats has been key to ensuring that political actors and government institutions don’t overturn the election results,” said Juan Pappier, Americas deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s latest machinations demonstrate the urgent need for continued and increased international scrutiny.”
These decisions follow a range of legal maneuvers by the Attorney General’s Office and other actors to undermine the right to vote and harass Arévalo and other members of the Semilla Movement. Arévalo, an anti-corruption candidate, won the presidential elections against Sandra Torres of the Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE) in August for a four year presidential term beginning January 14, 2024.
You can read the full joint statement, with links, Guatemala: Renewed Attacks Against Democracy, here on WOLA or here on HRW.
Categories: Corruption, Criminalisation, Guatemala, Human Rights, Impunity, Justice, Presidential Elections, Solidarity in Action
Guatemala Solidarity Network 
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