Bernardo Arévalo’s inauguration as Guatemala's president is not guaranteed as judicial challenges to his candidacy remain. The international community and the...
Arévalo is an academic, diplomat and activist who worked for many years in the United Nations. He is the son of a political icon, Juan José Arévalo, who won the first democratic elections in Guatemala’s history in 1945 and led a reform movement that was snuffed by a CIA-supported military coup against Jacobo Árbenz, his successor, in 1954.
Since then, the country’s judicial system has been used by these networks to attack political opponents and provide impunity to corrupt politicians, particularly members of Congress.The attorney general’s office in particular, with the acquiescence of certain judges, manipulated electoral laws to disqualify up to six presidential candidates in the lead-up to the June 25 first round of elections.
The next few months are crucial for Guatemala’s democratic future. If judicial challenges prevent Arévalo from being inaugurated on Jan. 14, it will be a setback for democracy which Guatemala may not easily overcome. The U.S. government has already slapped sanctions on 10 Guatemalan officials, including prosecutors and judges, accused of undermining democracy and targeting journalists and political opponents. But additional steps might need to be taken if the onslaught against President-elect Arévalo continues.
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