Clashes broke out in Guatemala this afternoon between police and Arevalo's supporters.
- author, Draft
- stock, BBC News World
Bernardo Arevalo still waits at the Miguel Ángel Asturias Cultural Center to be sworn in as Guatemala's president, on a day marked by protests, judicial decisions and chaos in the Central American nation's Congress.
An investiture ceremony attended by many international delegates was planned 3:00 pm local time.
However, the special session was delayed because the Credentials Commission, made up of outgoing members of Congress, was late in its task of reviewing the documents of elected representatives.
This delayed the inauguration of new legislators and the Congressional Board of Directors, the body responsible for the inauguration of the president and vice president-elect.
The area around Congress was cordoned off by police, while supporters of the new president called for the inauguration process to begin.
Earlier there was a clash between the authorities and the protestors.
For its part, Arévalo took to social network X on Sunday afternoon Call the representatives.
image source, Reuters
Among the protesting population, there is a significant presence of tribal groups.
“Representatives have a responsibility to respect the will of the people as expressed in elections. There is an attempt to subvert democracy through illegalities, frivolities and abuses of power. The people of Guatemala and the international community are watching,” he said.
The Turn of the Semilla Movement in Congress
Initially, the inauguration session of the new representatives was scheduled for this Sunday at 8:00 am.
However, Delayed due to request from Semilla MovementAfter being disqualified as a political group last November, the Arévalo party went to the Constitutional Court to decide whether they can sit on the congressional board of directors.
The judges ruled that they should be sworn in as independents, which weakened the president's mandate, leaving them unable to hold executive positions or chair commissions.
However, after the formation of the new Congress 7:30pm Guatemala timeIn a session preceded by energetic speeches alleging unconstitutionality, the Semilla movement presented a petition before the plenary to reinstate itself as a bench.
He also got his approval for the Congress Board of Directors. Through this, the legislative committee presided Samuel Perez AlvarezA 31-year-old politician from the Semilla movement.
image source, Reuters
Bernardo Arevalo is a Guatemalan sociologist and former diplomat.
International support
Arévalo's inauguration was delayed, Many international representatives expressed their support for the politicianThese include Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica and the United States, as well as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union.
“Here in Guatemala, the Republican Congress has not yet agreed to elect its board of directors, which is supposed to take over from President Bernardo Arevalo,” he shared on X Tonight. Gustavo PedroColombian president in Guatemala.
“The prosecution, like Peru, like Colombia, has an adverse attitude towards the presidency and has tried to imprison the vice president elected by the people,” he added.
President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, made a similar call. “The people and powers of the State of Guatemala shall support the President.”
OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro joins international delegations to express their support for President-elect Bernardo Arevalo.
then, Luis AlmagroThe Secretary General of the OAS read a joint statement before several media outlets of some of the delegations visiting the Central American country, which met at the request of the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a historic milestone.
“We call on the Republican Congress to fulfill its constitutional mandate to give power to President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and Vice-President-elect Karin Herrera in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.
“The people of Guatemala expressed their democratic will in fair, free and transparent elections recognized by the international community,” he added.
Obstacle course
The height of Arevalo's power in Guatemala was a Banned raceDespite its wide electoral support.
He was elected president of Guatemala on August 20 with an anti-corruption speech with 60.9% support.
But the 65-year-old sociologist and diplomat has for months denounced attempts by public officials to circumvent election results, which he characterized as “corrupt,” and promoted the suspension of the legal status of the progressive Semilla Movement. By him.
In December, Arévalo even said publicly that they are trying to make one “conspiracy”.
image source, Reuters
Consuelo Boras, Attorney General of Guatemala, has been included by the United States in its list of corrupt and anti-democratic actors.
But the Public Ministry asserts that there are irregularities in the constitution of Semilla Movement.
Arévalo specifically pointed to the Attorney General Consuelo Boras Responsible. He also asked for his resignation after the Supreme Election Tribunal ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in the election he allegedly won.
Boras was included by the United States on a list of corrupt and anti-democratic actors for his controversial administration, but he received support from outgoing President Alejandro Giamatte.
The conflict created protests in favor of Arrivalo, who won surprise elections and would become the most progressive president since the return to democracy nearly 40 years after he took office.
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