Former officials demand “severe sanctions” against those who violate the elections

Former Guatemalan officials asked this Monday in Washington that the United States and the European Union apply “more severe sanctions” against officials of the Central American country who “attack” democracy and the rule of law in the country.

Former Human Rights attorney Jordán Rodas, who is in exile in Europe, said at a press conference in the US capital, before beginning a series of visits to Congress and the White House along with other of his compatriots, that the sanctions must also be “homogenized.”

For Rodas “it is inconceivable that dark characters cannot enter the United States, but they can go to Europe,” for which he urged that both “the pronouncements and the sanctions must be more severe.”

Former attorney Rodas, who was excluded as a vice-presidential candidate along with the leader of the indigenous movement Thelma Cabrera, also asked that democratic countries with power of influence “generate pressure” to “stop” disbursements while this situation persists.

At the same meeting, Thelma Aldana, former attorney general of Guatemala, also persecuted and exiled in the United States, added that the current situation in the country is the result of the takeover of the government apparatus by “political-economic networks embedded in the Guatemalan State for corruption.”

He agreed with Rodas that the list of sanctions should be extended to private sector figures who pivot and support the visible rings in the political and judicial power, which these days keep the country in uncertainty before the outcome that could have the second presidential round to be held on August 20.

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said Monday that has called the foreign minister of GuatemalaMario Búcaro, to urge him that the second round of elections “be carried out without interference or harassment” since “the Guatemalan people have the right to choose their own leaders.”

Part of the private sector supports national strike

Before him call for a national strike from this Monday in Guatemala to push back the Public Ministry Directed by Consuelo Porras and the director of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI), Rafael Curruchiche, both sanctioned on the Engel List of the United States, would be the consequence of the “awakening” of the Guatemalan population that “lost their fear”.

The National Business Council, one of the affiliates of the powerful private sector, established a position on Monday in a statement on the participation of businesses in the call for a strike due to the electoral crisis in Guatemala.

“We also consider it important to emphasize that the attacks on democracy will continue no matter what happens after July 25 and we must be willing to stop at the national level to defend either the possibility of voting, which for now seems guaranteed, or whether the decision of the people at the polls is respected,” the union said in a statement.

Both Rodas and Aldana also pointed out that in the country, apart from the attempts to obstruct the electoral process, there is also a silent persecution against independent journalists and judicial officials.

The examples of the journalist José Rubén Zamora and the prosecutor Virginia Laparra -they said- are a clear example of the scope of judicial persecution against individuals and “non-aligned” political parties.

The Public Ministry said last week that the raids carried out against the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and the Seed Movement are not intended to interfere in the holding of elections on August 20 “nor to disqualify the participation of any candidate in the ballot,” but that the investigations continue.

The TSE asked the Constitutional Court on Friday for an amparo to stop Attorney General Consuelo Porras and other justice operators in the face of the imminent “certain, future and imminent threat” of these officials to the democratic rule of law in Guatemala.

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