Supporters of president-elect Bernardo Arevalo clashed with police in Guatemala City on Sunday after his inauguration was unexpectedly delayed. Arevalo, a member of the leftist Semilla party, won over 60% of the run-off vote in August 2023 with his anti-corruption platform. The swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to begin at 3 pm local time on Sunday but was abruptly suspended by Congress, which is controlled by right-wing parties.
Frustrated by the delay, protesters broke through police barriers and threatened to storm the parliament building, prompting the police to respond with tear gas. Arevalo criticized his rivals on social media, accusing them of attempting to undermine democracy.
The conflict arose due to the delay in reviewing the credentials of newly-elected MPs from Arevalo’s party, which prevented the formation of the Board of Directors responsible for the president’s swearing-in.
Congress later voted to allow 23 pro-Arevalo MPs to keep their seats but as independents, limiting their roles in the Board of Directors and commissions. Arevalo’s supporters fear that these restrictions will weaken his presidency.
- In November, the judicial authorities took the decision to suspend Arevalo’s party due to an ongoing investigation into potential violations of the law during the party’s formation several years ago. Arevalo strongly believed that the prosecution was politically motivated and condemned it as an attempted “coup d’etat.”
- Currently, several foreign leaders, such as Spanish King Felipe VI and the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell, are present in Guatemala. Their presence was anticipated for the inauguration ceremony.
- Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina, on behalf of all delegations including the EU and the Organization of American States (OAS), read out a statement. The statement emphasized that the Guatemalan people expressed their democratic will through fair, free, and transparent elections, which were endorsed by the international community’s electoral observation missions. It stressed the importance of respecting this democratic will.
- The US embassy shared a statement from USAID chief Samantha Power, affirming that there is no doubt that Bernardo Arevalo is the President of Guatemala.
