Progressive Candidate Bernardo Arévalo: Guatemala’s Elites Do Not Want Free Elections

On Wednesday, July 12, Arévalo condemned the political suspension of his party by the order of a judge.

“The powerful no longer want the people to freely decide their future, but we will defeat them,” Arévalo said.

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“The seeds of change and hope will not be trampled,” said the 64-year-old academic, who came second in the June 25 presidential election and will compete against former first lady Sandra Torres in the runoff for the presidency.

Arévalo’s statements come after a judge from the Guatemalan Public Ministry announced the suspension of the legal status of the Seed party for allegedly having presented false signatures. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal has 24 hours to act on the judge’s ruling.

However, according to constitutional experts, Guatemalan electoral regulations establish that no party can lose its legal status while an electoral process is going on.

The Public Ministry investigation was led by Attorney Rafael Curruchiche, who was sanctioned in the United States in 2022 for carrying out false cases against former authority figures of Guatemala.

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“The will of the citizens must be respected,” said Seed party’s vice-presidential candidate Karin Herrera, who is a biochemist by profession.

Social organizations have condemned the suspension of the Seed party’s legal status, as this implies that its members cannot participate in political acts and the party’s elected candidates would not be able to take office.