[En español abajo]
For Immediate Release: July 13, 2023
Contact:Tania Del Moral | Program Assistant tdelmoral@lawg.org
Latin America Working Group: LAWG Condemns Judicial Coup D’état in Guatemala
July 13, 2023. The Guatemalan Attorney General’s office just announced that they were revoking the political party Semilla’s legal status for supposed electoral fraud in the inscription of the party, which at the moment, has not been verified. Rafael Currichiche, an official of the Public Ministry and current head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI), made the announcement before the Supreme Electoral Tribunal officialized the results. Currichiche is currently sanctioned under Engel’s list for corruption.In addition, Guatemala’s electoral law states clearly that a party cannot be suspended after participating in an election. The announcement by Currichiche, by orders of his superiors, took place before the Guatemalan Constitutional Court (CSJ) convoking a press release to verify results, which had been repeatedly postponed.
This is a technical coup d’etat and honing in on a constitutional crisis. There must be a call for respect for human rights along with a strong condemnation of the actions of the FECI. The U.S must vehemently condemn the electoral laws that have been violated by the Guatemalan government. Respect for the people’s vote and protest is critical and the U.S must support this in all the tools available it has at hand.
See our previous reports here:
Guatemala’s Downward Spiral, a report by the Latin America Working Group (LAWG), the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC), summarizes the ways in which corrupt elites have captured the Guatemalan state, from the closing of the UN-backed International Commission against Impunity (CICIG) to the current co-optation of the justice sector system.
Under Assault in Guatemala: Journalists & Indigenous & Human Rights Activists, a report by Latin America Working Group Education Fund, WOLA, and GHRC, outlines the closing of civic space as one of the strategies being used by corrupt networks to quell disruptions to their power, avoid historic responsibility for crimes committed during the internal armed conflict, and silence voices exposing corruption.
When the Dominoes Fall: Cooptation of the Justice System in Guatemala, a report by the three organizations and the Due Process of Law Foundation, provides analysis and the long-term implications of the steps taken to undermine Guatemala’s justice system, from the stacking of its highest courts with corrupt judges to the co-opting and dismantling of the Attorney General’s Office and specialized prosecutors’ offices.
“The Guatemalan people have had enough of corrupt politicians and government officials… they want a government that respects the rule of law and invests in all people,” stated Executive Director Vicki Gass.
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Para publicación inmediata:13 de julio de 2023
Contacto: Tania Del Moral | Asistente de programas tdelmoral@lawg.org
El grupo de trabajo para los asuntos latinoamericanos (LAWG): LAWG condena el golpe de estado judicial en Guatemala
13 de julio de 2023.Grupo de Trabajo sobre América Latina: LAWG condena el golpe de Estado judicial en Guatemala
13 de julio de 2023. La Fiscalía General de Guatemala acaba de anunciar la revocación de la personería jurídica al partido político Semilla por un supuesto fraude electoral en la inscripción del partido, que por el momento no ha sido comprobado. Rafael Currichiche, funcionario del Ministerio Público y actual jefe de la Fiscalía Especial Contra la Impunidad (FECI), hizo el anuncio antes de que el Tribunal Supremo Electoral oficializara los resultados. Currichiche está actualmente sancionado en la lista de Engel por corrupción.
Además, la ley electoral de Guatemala establece claramente que un partido no puede ser suspendido durante el proceso electoral. El anuncio de Currichiche, por orden de sus superiores, tuvo lugar antes de que la Corte de Constitucionalidad de Guatemala (CSJ) convocara un comunicado de prensa para verificar los resultados, que se había pospuesto repetidamente.
Se trata de un golpe de Estado técnico y de una crisis constitucional. Debe haber un llamamiento al respeto de los derechos humanos junto con una enérgica condena de las acciones de la FECI. Estados Unidos debe condenar vehementemente las leyes electorales que han sido violadas por el gobierno guatemalteco. El respeto al voto del pueblo y a la protesta es fundamental y EE.UU. debe aprovechar esta oportunidad con todas las herramientas que tenga a su alcance.
“La gente guatemalteca ya ha tenido suficientes políticos y oficiales de gobierno corruptos… quieren un gobierno que respete el estado de derecho y que invierta en toda la población,” concluyó directora ejecutiva Vicki Gass.
