Members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee have tabled a resolution calling for a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Bernardo Arevalo.
Additionally, the Government of Guatemala is urged to prioritize and actively act to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power and proceed with the inauguration of the President-elect on January 14.
Senators sponsoring the resolution are led by Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Dick Durbin, Tim Kaine, Jeff Merkley, Labonza Butler and Peter Welch.
“The people of Guatemala voted in a free and fair presidential election. They deserve to have their voices heard and respected. The Guatemalan government must respect the will of the people and allow a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Arevalo,” Cardin points out.
Avoid obstacles
The proposed resolution calls on the State Department, the Treasury Department, and the Agency for International Development (USAid), among others, to prepare for the possibility that the change of command may not occur peacefully.
They call for a reevaluation of all elements of U.S. bilateral foreign aid and cooperation with the Guatemalan government.
Additionally, they indicate that an evaluation of all diplomatic and economic instruments should be undertaken, including economic sanctions that could be used against accountable Guatemalan public officials, private sector actors, and others who have supported or attempted to block the transition. power
Asks for commutation of penalty
The resolution also calls on the government to commute the sentences of journalist José Ruben Zamora and former prosecutor Virginia Labara. “End intimidation and threats against all actors working to reduce corruption in Guatemala”.
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