Guatemala's new president appeals for society's help to overcome entrenched powers
Guatemala's new president to ask for society's help in face of opposition from entrenched powers
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — President Bernardo Arévalo said Thursday that with his political party suspended, little support in congress and an attorney general in hot pursuit, he will appeal to the Guatemalan people to help him overcome the entrenched old guard and achieve the change he campaigned on.
By Sonia Pérez D. The Associated Press
Thursday, February 1, 2024
3 min to read
Article was updated Feb 1, 2024
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — President Bernardo Arévalo said Thursday that with his political party suspended, little support in congress and an attorney general in hot pursuit, he will appeal to the Guatemalan people to help him overcome the entrenched old guard and achieve the change he campaigned on.
“We are clear that in the current context, we depend on society and convincing them that together we begin to row,” Arévalo told The Associated Press in an interview two weeks after his inauguration. “We can’t depend on a political system where those criminal and patronage networks still lurk.”
Arévalo won the presidency in August, beating the establishment candidate by a comfortable margin. He is the son of a former president credited with implementing some of Guatemala’s key labor protections, but Arévalo’s strong showing in a crowded field was still a shock. The politician with a background in academia and conflict resolution caught fire with a message of challenging the country’s entrenched power structure and resuming the fight against corruption.
The face of the resistance to change is Attorney General Consuelo Porras. Sanctioned by the U.S. government for allegedly undermining Guatemala’s democracy, Porras has used her office’s autonomy to pursue Arévalo and his party since he won a spot in the presidential runoff election las
More:
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/americas/guatemalas-new-president-appeals-for-societys-help-to-overcome-entrenched-powers/article_655f34a2-39ba-578a-8c6e-6a1a1e90f909.html
Attorney General Consuelo Porras
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Online News Editor
February 2, 2024
Brussels, Feb 2 (EFE).- The European Union on Friday sanctioned Guatemala’s Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, three of her subordinates and a judge for their attempts to prevent the inauguration of President Bernardo Arévalo, who took office on Jan. 14.
A statement from the European Council said the sanctions were imposed to “hold accountable those obstructing a democratic transition following the 2023 general elections, which resulted in a clear victory of President Bernardo Arévalo, as attested by the EU Election Observation Mission to Guatemala”
The sanctions include the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity (FECI), José Rafael Curruchiche; FECI prosecutor Leonor Morales; the Secretary General of the Public Ministry, Ángel Pineda; and Judge Fredy Orellana.
The statement said that “those targeted are responsible for undermining democracy, the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala.”
More:
https://www.laprensalatina.com/eu-sanctions-guatemalas-attorney-general-for-obstructing-democratic-transition/