The elected President of Guatemala announced the suspension of the transitional process with the outgoing government

President-elect of Guatemala, Bernardo Arevalo de LeonToday, Tuesday, he announced that he had temporarily suspended the transitional process with the current government, Alejandro GiamattiThis is after the actions of the Public Prosecution Office (Public Prosecutor’s Office) against the June 25 elections.

Arevalo de Leon indicated in a press conference that the decision was due “to the situation caused” by the Public Ministry. “While the necessary political conditions are re-created.”

In addition, the President-elect requested the resignation of the Attorney General and Head of the Public Ministry, Consuelo Porras, whom he had already accused on September 1 of carrying out a “coup” against him.

“Guatemalans, the coup plotters must resign. Prosecutor Consuelo Porras, Prosecutor Rafael Corroche and Judge Freddy Orellana, in a harmful association, have created a new escalation in the ongoing coup,” Arevalo said in a press conference. The transitional process that should lead to his inauguration in January 2024.

President of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala (Tokyo Stock Exchange)Irma Palencia confirmed on Tuesday that “the custody of the vote has been broken.”This was after the Public Prosecution (Public Prosecution) decided to open several electoral boxes and review ballot papers outside the limits set by law.

Judge Palencia warned that with the actions of the Attorney General’s Office “they are no longer responsible for the vote” and that interference “It is dangerous and puts the electoral process at risk.”

The words of Guatemala’s highest electoral body were recorded at a press conference, after the Attorney General’s Office decided to intervene in at least 160 electoral boxes, where the votes cast by thousands of Guatemalans on June 25 were stored.

Palencia described the action taken by the Attorney General’s Office as “strange” and recalled that the election results were already official, so “they cannot be annulled in any way.” Since public offices won at the ballot box have already been awarded.

The Supreme Electoral Court recalled that according to Article 243 of the Election Law, only electoral councils composed of citizens can count votes.

Moreover, Judge Gabriel Aguilera confirmed that the Electoral Tribunal does not have access to the investigation with which the Public Prosecutor’s Office justified access to the votes.

The prosecutor led the raid on the prosecutor’s office Rafael CorochiciThe United States imposed sanctions on him in 2022 on charges of corruption and undermining justice.

The ballot boxes that were intercepted contain the votes cast to elect the president, deputies, and mayors, and according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the diligence will continue for the rest of the week.

Since the progressive academy Bernardo Arevalo de LeonAfter he, now the president-elect of Guatemala, advanced to a runoff, the office of Attorney General and Criminal Judge Freddy Orellana took legal action to try to have his party, the Similla Movement, overturned over an alleged issue of false signatures during the process of its creation.

According to President Palencia, the Electoral Court will take legal action against the Public Prosecutor’s Office for violating the chain of custody of the votes.

On January 14, Arevalo de León should assume the presidency of Guatemala for the period 2024-2028, and will become the country’s first social democratic leader.

For this part, The European Union on Tuesday expressed “deep concern” over the “unjustified” and “arbitrary” registration carried out by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to Combat Impunity. At TSE’s facilities in Guatemala.

“(They are) unacceptable and ongoing attempts to undermine the results through selective and arbitrary judicial and procedural measures that are inconsistent with the international and regional norms to which Guatemala has joined,” State Department spokesman Peter Stano said in a statement.

In this sense, he reiterated his call on the institutions, as well as the branches of the Guatemalan government, to “fully respect the election results” certified by the country’s highest electoral authority and announced on 28 August.

Likewise, he urged “to refrain from any action that would undermine the results of the elections – in which the leftist Bernardo Arevalo, the already elected president, won – or jeopardize the peaceful and orderly transition” of power.

(With information from EFE and Europe Press)