Guatemala

On 20 August, Guatemala’s run-off election between Sandra Torres, and Bernardo Arévalo took place. The latter won with an over 20-percentage point difference (around 58 per cent of support in comparison with Torres’s 37 per cent). According to Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, voter turnout was around 45 per cent. Turnout in the first round was around 60 per cent, though according to electoral officials, turnout has historically been lower in run-off elections.  Arévalo’s victory amidst prosecutorial actions against his Movimiento Semilla party have pointed to citizens’ fatigue over the political establishment’s performance. Citizens have protested against attempts to undermine the result of the election, calling for the Attorney General, Anti-Graft Prosecutor and a judicial official that ordered the suspension of Movimiento Semilla to resign. Popular demonstrations in support of Arévalo have also taken place.

Elections Bernardo Arévalo

Concern over the integrity of Guatemala’s presidential race arose after the Constitutional Court suspended the certification of the first-round electoral results pending the review of ballots, after rivalling parties complained about alleged inconsistencies in votes. The measure was widely criticised as unwarranted. After the delay in announcing official results, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal confirmed that Bernardo Arevalo and Sandra Torres would face each other in a run-off. In the weeks after the first-round, upon the request of a special anti-graft prosecutor, a lower court granted the suspension of Arevalo’s Semilla party. Also at the request of the anti-graft prosecutor, warrants were granted to carry out a raid on Semilla party’s headquarters as part of an investigation into the authenticity of signatures during the process of the party’s registration, last year. Prosecutors also carried out searches of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, actions denounced by the UN, EU and Guatemalan protesters, particularly due to the legal framework that prohibits the suspension of a political party while an electoral process is underway. The Constitutional Court blocked the suspension of Semilla party so the runoff can go ahead. 

Elections Prosecutor's Office High Court Bernardo Arévalo Lower Court

On 25 June, Guatemalans voted in general elections to determine the composition of the legislature, their representatives to the Central American Parliament, as well as their president and vice president. Bernardo Arevalo, a lawmaker and former diplomat, and Sandra Torres, also politician and former first lady, will head to a run-off on 20 August, after no candidate received majority support in the first round. Notably, the number of spoiled ballots reached 17.38 per cent, greater than the number of votes received by the leading candidate (Sandra Torres, with 15.86 per cent). According to experts, the high number of null ballots shows voter’s dissatisfaction with the ‘electoral offer’.  Voter turnout passed 59 per cent for both the parliamentary and presidential elections. In Congress, women’s representation overall remained the same. 31 women deputies were elected, out of 160 seats (one less than in the current legislature).

Women's Political Participation Elections Bernardo Arévalo

Local newspaper “El Periodico” published its last edition in May, after targeted prosecutions against its journalists, including against founder, Jose Ruben Zamora. Prosecutors and other government officials have accused Zamora of money laundering and members of the media organization of obstructing justice by publishing articles on the trial of the newspaper’s founder. Press freedom advocates and human rights organizations have condemned what they characterize as retaliation for the critical coverage by “El Periodico” of President Giamattei’s administration. The Interamerican Press Society has condemned actions against press freedom in Guatemala and the prosecutor’s particularly harsh determinations against Zamora, including a request for 40 years imprisonment.

Alejandro Giammattei Media José Rubén Zamora