Guatemala’s constitutional crisis took a new turn on Friday as the electoral authority accused the government of undermining democracy and the vote for president.
In an injunction filed with the nation’s constitutional court, the authority said that seven officials, including the finance minister and the attorney general, have prevented it from carrying out its duties.
There is a “future and imminent threat that the authorities mentioned violate the democratic rule of law,” the authority said.
Guatemala held a presidential election on June 25 with a runoff scheduled for August 20 between top two finishers Sandra Torres and Bernardo Arévalo. But the race was thrown in to chaos last week after prosecutors raided the electoral authority for documents regarding Arévalo, alleging his political party forged signatures and committed money laundering.
Arévalo, who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, says the raids are part of a plot by crooked officials to keep him out of power.
The government said in a statement the executive branch has provided all the guarantees necessary for a fair vote, complied with electoral laws and dispatched police and soldiers to protect voting centers. The government offered the presidency’s security detail to both candidates.
Arrest Warrant
On Thursday, prosecutors said they have a warrant to arrest Eleonora Noemi Castillo, deputy chief of the citizens’ registry, which is part of the electoral authority, in their case against Semilla, Prensa Libre reported. On Friday, prosecutors and police raided Smilla’s headquarters in Guatemala City, congresswoman-elect Andrea María Reyes said on Twitter.
Read more: Guatemala Presidential Race in Chaos After Electoral Office Raid
The attorney general’s office also confirmed an arrest warrant for Semilla party activist Cinthya Rojas for her alleged role in forging signatures during the party’s founding. Rojas has denied wrongdoing and Arévalo said she is not responsible for the crimes prosecutors allege.
During a press conference on Thursday, Arévalo said the legal actions against his party constitute “judicial harassment” and that “we won’t let the dark arts, tricks and abuses of a few corrupt actors” deter the campaign.
The constitutional court ruled that the runoff should proceed as planned on August 20, while also allowing prosecutors to continue their investigation into Arévalo’s Semilla party. On Friday, the high court reiterated its position and said in a statement the government should respect the electoral process.
(Adds response from government in sixth paragraph.)
