Political tension in Guatemala is growing after the sudden suspension of the political party of Bernardo Arévalo, the country’s president-elect, by the Guatemalan Supreme Electoral Tribunal. This Monday, the court confirmed Arévalo’s victory on the last electoral day, but, that same day, the institution temporarily suspended his party, Semilla, due to accusations of false signatures in its creation in 2017. This is the most recent electoral period. complex in the country in recent years.
Eight days after the elections, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal announced that Semilla’s ‘legal registration’ is not legal due to irregularities in its foundation. The electoral court declared that “The General Directorate of the Citizens’ Registry (…) resolves to provisionally suspend the registration of a legal person of the Committee for the constitution of the political party Movimiento Semilla” in its resolution published yesterday. In a press conference late on Monday, Arevalo announced that the suspension was “illegal” and that his party will file an appeal first thing Tuesday morning.
The Supreme Court gave Semilla three days to file an appeal for the case to be transferred to the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala. Arévalo, through statements to foreign media, described the decision of the country’s authorities as “illegal” and part of a “political persecution” to prevent the investiture of him and his vice president, Karin Herrera, the next January 14.
For months now, the Guatemalan Prosecutor’s Office, linked to the current government, has tried to suspend the party of Arévalo, a former diplomat and son of a former president, since his victory in the first round of elections in June this year. According to statements by Semilla’s representatives, multiple members of the Guatemalan Prosecutor’s Office accused the political movement of having been illegally created with the aim of preventing their participation in the second round on August 20. The accusations were rejected by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, since a political party cannot be suspended in the middle of an election day, according to the authorities.
Following Arévalo’s victory, prosecutors have decided to resume the case and requested the temporary disqualification of Semilla. According to statements by the president-elect and local sources, Arévalo will take office next year, but it is not clear if members of his party will be able to occupy seats in the Guatemalan congress.
“At this moment, no one can prevent me from taking office on January 14,” the winner told a news conference. According to the sources, the impact that the suspension of the winning party will have is not clear, since the electoral authorities have not yet announced what the consequences of the disqualification will be.
The progressive candidate swept the presidential elections, with more than 60% of the votes in the second round, against his opponent, the conservative candidate Sandra Torres, who obtained 32%. After winning the presidential elections, Arévalo, Herrera, and various Semilla representatives have been threatened by criminal groups and fear for their safety.
The winners also denounced that they have been accused of electoral fraud by the losing candidate. According to Arévalo, the disqualification of her political movement is just one more strategy to prevent her from reaching the presidency. On the other hand, the Organization of American States (OAS) announced through a statement that “the attempt to suspend Semilla was unjustified and an abusive interpretation of the law.”
After Semilla’s suspension, Arévalo announced that he will hold a conversation with the current president, Alejandro Giammattei, to coordinate the presidential transition and his inauguration. According to political analysts, the disqualification of Semilla will not prevent Arévalo from reaching the presidency, since he is officially the winner of the second electoral round. But the decision of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal may prevent members of his party from accompanying him to the presidential house.
