The prosecution considers the presidential elections won by Bernardo Arevalo “invalid”

The Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office said Friday “Empty” Bernardo Arevalo won the presidential election in August over alleged irregularities, drawing the ire of the Organization of American States, which denounced “Coup attempt.” Prosecutor Leonor Morales said in a press conference that investigations showed this happened “Irregularities in drafting the minutes of the closing of the vote count” And therefore, “The election of the President, Vice-President and Deputies (…) is automatically considered null and void.” The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) certified the election and confirmed that Bernardo Arévalo could take office, as planned, on January 14.

But Attorney General Morales explained that the report had not been approved “Through the plenary session” of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and therefore should not be used to record results. The head of the Anti-Impunity Prosecutor’s Office, Rafael Kurochishi, who attended the press conference, confirmed that all “The information recorded in the closing minutes and ballot papers in all polling stations must be cancelled.” “We will submit this forensic information to the Supreme Electoral Court for analysis in the coming days.” And he will be the one “We will make a decision on this matter.” He said. For its part, the Turkish Stock Exchange confirmed that the results of the presidential elections are “Formal and immutable.” The elected ‘He should take office’ Next January “Otherwise there will be a collapse of the constitutional order.”The president of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Blanca Alfaro, announced during a press conference.

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“Democratic disintegration”

Friday’s charges constitute, according to Bernardo Arevalo’s supporters, a new attempt by the Attorney General’s Office, led by Attorney General Consuelo Porras (whom the United States has listed as a corrupt actor), to prevent the president elected in August from coming to power. . Bernardo Arevalo surprisingly won the presidential election thanks to an anti-corruption platform. This was decided by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States, a Washington-based organization that includes 35 member states “The actions and statements of Prosecutors Rafael Corochici and Leonor Morales constitute a revision of the country’s constitutional order, a violation of the rule of law, and a violation of the human rights of the inhabitants of their country.” “The attempt to nullify this year’s general elections constitutes the worst form of democratic disintegration and the entrenchment of political fraud against the will of the people.”The Organization of American States added.

In mid-November, the Public Prosecutor’s Office submitted a request to lift the immunity of Bernardo Arevalo and his elected deputy, Karen Herrera, in the case of the occupation of a public university from May 2022 to June 2023. Other maneuvers that the judicial authorities allowed to be suspended. His political party. The United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the Organization of American States have repeatedly strongly criticized the prosecution’s actions against the president-elect. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala expressed this “Concerns about actions that appear intended to undermine the integrity of the electoral process and the rule of law.”

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Bernardo Arevalo led Thursday’s demonstration “anti-Corruption” Which gathered thousands of people in the capital and also called for the ouster of Prosecutor Consuelo Porras. “We walk united for this country that will prosper despite corruption.”During this “March for Democracy,” he announced amidst screams “Out with the corrupt!” “This weak and fragile democracy that we had, which was violated in various ways, nevertheless managed to create the necessary space for Guatemalans to express their opinions and say never again, corruption will never happen again.” he added.