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Demonstrators rally in Guatemala to defend presidential election results

President-elect Bernardo Arevalo has called on voters to meet him in Guatemala City as he faces threats to his victory.

In a sea of protesters waving Guatemalan flags, one protester holds up a handwritten sign that reads: "Fuera Corruptos!"
A protester calls for an end to corruption on Monday in a sea of blue and white Guatemalan flags [Moises Castillo/AP Photo]
Published On 19 Sep 2023

Thousands of protesters have flooded the streets of Guatemala, answering a call issued by President-elect Bernardo Arevalo to defend the integrity of the country’s recent elections.

Last Friday, Arevalo took to social media to rally his supporters, asking them to join him in Guatemala City on Monday as he filed a legal challenge against those he considers “coup-mongers”.

“The time has come for all of us together, as one nation, to step forward, raise our voices and put a stop to that corrupt and coup-mongering minority that tries to deny the people of Guatemala the right to live in democracy,” Arevalo wrote.

He also pledged to take his complaint to Guatemala’s Supreme Court of Justice: “We’ll see you in court!”

Ever since he emerged as one of two finalists in the June 25 presidential election, Arevalo — a dark-horse candidate who campaigned on combatting corruption — has seen his presidential ambitions beset by challenges from the political establishment.

He has continued to be a target even after winning the August 20 run-off in a landslide.

Critics fear that actions taken under figures like Guatemala’s attorney general, María Consuelo Porras, are a ploy to derail his election victory and scuttle the will of the voters.

The United States has previously sanctioned Porras for “her involvement in significant corruption”. After Arevalo became a frontrunner on June 25, Porras’s office opened an investigation into his political party, the Seed Movement, claiming signatures collected years ago to form the party were fraudulent.

Her office also sent police officers to raid the Seed Movement’s headquarters, as well as the offices of Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

Officials with the tribunal have criticised the raid as unlawful. Police officers reportedly opened boxes containing ballots from the race, a move critics say violates voters’ privacy and compromises the integrity of the elections.

The attorney general’s office has defended its actions as a check against voter fraud, though nonpartisan election observers have denied there is any evidence of widespread malfeasance.

On Monday, US Ambassador Francisco Mora denounced the “anti-democratic behavior” he observed in Guatemala’s Public Ministry and other government bodies since Arevalo victory.

“In a healthy democracy, institutions don’t tamper with ballot boxes after election results have been officially certified by the appropriate authority,” Mora said in a statement.

Already on Monday, CODECA — a nationwide organisation representing rural Indigenous communities — announced it would block roadways to protest the alleged election interference, starting on the next day. It also called on the judges and prosecutors involved to resign.

Meanwhile, in Guatemala City, Indigenous leaders and other protesters marched through the streets with signs that condemned the recent actions as a “coup”.

Arevalo himself appeared alongside his running mate, Karin Herrera, in Guatemala City’s Human Rights Plaza as he prepared to present his complaint in person at the Supreme Court.

Crowds of people carrying signs file through an archway in Guatemala City.
Indigenous people lead a protest through Guatemala City on September 18, calling for the resignation of Attorney General María Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, two figures involved in the investigation into the Seed Movement. [Johan Ordonez/AFP]
An Indigenous protester holds two flags as demonstrators march through Guatemala City on September 18.
Many protesters believe officials like Attorney General Porras have taken actions designed to invalidate their votes. [Johan Ordonez/AFP]
Indigenous protesters pray with eyes closed as they prepare to march in their regalia.
Indigenous leaders pray before they march through Guatemala City on September 18, in a show of support for Arevalo. [Moises Castillo/AP]
An Indigenous protester raises a staff as demonstrators march through the streets of Guatemala City on September 18.
Indigenous- and peasant-led groups like CODECA have pledged to shut down Guatemala’s roadways if election integrity is not upheld. [Moises Castillo/AP]
Indigenous people take part in a demonstration to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, accused of generating an electoral crisis to affect Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and the Semilla party, in Guatemala City on September 18, 2023.
Indigenous demonstrators show their support for Arevalo, who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform. [Johan Ordonez/AFP]
An Indigenous woman in colorful regalia marches down the streets of Guatemala City.
Many protesters fear government interference could halt the peaceful transfer of power before Arevalo is able to take office in January. [Moises Castillo/AP]
Protesters gather around a fire that burns incense in the streets of Guatemala City.
Indigenous leaders burn incense in a pro-democracy demonstration in the streets of Guatemala City on September 18. [Moises Castillo/AP]
A demonstrator wears a head band with the image of Guatemala's President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, during a march by Indigenous people to demand the resignation of Guatemala's Attorney General Consuelo Porras, outside the Supreme Court building in Guatemala City,
A demonstrator wears a headband showing support for Arevalo, who called on voters to protest on Monday. [Moises Castillo/AP]
Nobel laureate and Indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchú speaks to protesters in Guatemala City, as demonstrations break out over fears of election interference. [Moises Castillo/AP]
Indigenous women use sticks to hit a line of photos laid out on the ground, representing key figures in Guatemala's government.
Indigenous leaders use sticks to swat images representing government officials involved in alleged efforts to derail Arevalo's presidency. They include Attorney General María Consuelo Porras, prosecutor Curruchiche and judge Fredy Orellana. [Moises Castillo/AP]