1 of 2 Tensions in Congress delay Arévalo's inauguration as president of Guatemala. Photo: Portal Tensions in Congress delay Arévalo's inauguration as president of Guatemala. — Photo: Portal
Although Guatemala's constitution stipulates that Congress must swear in the new president by 4:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. Brazilian time), at the end of this period not even the new parliament was in office.
“Deputies have a responsibility to respect the will of the people, which is expressed in the elections. They try to violate democracy with illegalities, trivialities and abuse of power,” Arévalo wrote on social media.
The predominantly rightwing Congress cannot agree on the choice of the new board and declares Arévalo's bank “independent” due to a court order suspending the Movimento Semente party.
The delay in the inauguration sparked anger among Arévalo's supporters, including many indigenous people, who made their way to the parliament building amid crowds of police. So far the police have not suppressed the demonstration.
2 of 2 Supporters of Presidentelect Bernardo Arévalo gather at Constitution Square in Guatemala City. Photo: Portal Supporters of elected President Bernardo Arévalo gather at Constitution Square in Guatemala City. — Photo: Portal
Arévalo, a 65yearold sociologist, former diplomat and philosopher, surprisingly made it into last year's presidential election, where he ran against a conservative candidate allied with the government. He won with 60% of the vote in a campaign with anticorruption messages.
Since then, Arévalo has faced a judicial offensive that he denounced as a “coup d'etat” involving the political and economic elite that has ruled the country for decades.
The State Department sought to remove his immunity as presidentelect, dissolve his progressive party and annul the election due to voting irregularities.
The attack was condemned by the United Nations, the OAS, the European Union and the United States, which sanctioned hundreds of prosecutors, judges and lawmakers for “corruption” and “undermining democracy.”
As a sign of support, the inauguration ceremony will be attended by, among others, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, delegates from Washington and the King of Spain, Felipe VI, as well as the presidents of Colombia, Chile, Honduras and Panama.
Costa Rica urgently called a meeting of foreign ministers who attended the inauguration.
The Guatemala that Arévalo inherits ranks 30th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's corruption rankings and has 60% of its 17.8 million residents living in poverty, one of the highest rates in Latin America.
Tens of thousands of citizens immigrate to the United States each year to seek work and escape gang violence and drug trafficking.