Almost thirty former Latin American presidents said this Saturday that in Guatemala “there is a change in the constitutional order that seriously affects the democratic order”, given “persecution and prosecution elected president and vice president of the country, Bernardo Arevalo de Leon and Karin Herrerato which they expressed their support.

This pursuit of the chosen couple has a “repeated and obvious purpose – prohibit the sovereign demonstration of Guatemalans already expressed in free elections,” said former heads of state and government involved in the Democratic Initiative of Spain and America (IDEA group).

“We warn the democratic governments of the region and Permanent Council of the Organization of American States, are obliged to act in accordance with the terms of the Inter-American Democratic Charter,” the letter says.

Referring to the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the former rulers noted that in Guatemala “there is clearly a change in the constitutional order that seriously affects the democratic order”, therefore we renew our support Bernardo Arevalo de Leon and Karin Larissa Herrera A., elected leaders.”

The Guatemalan prosecutor’s office announced this last Thursday. will demand the removal of immunity from Arevalo de Leon and Herrerawhom he accuses of aggravated usurpation, theft of cultural property and unlawful association for his participation in the 2022 violent takeover of the campus of the State University of San Carlos in protest of the elections held that year at the university.

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The prosecutor’s office, headed by Consuelo Porras, is accused of persecute Arevalo de Leon and his party Semilla Movement since July 12 last year, after Guatemala’s now-elected ruler unexpectedly finished second in the first round of the June 25 general election.

Since then the Ministry of Justice raided the Supreme Electoral Courtconfiscated ballot boxes and also tried to prosecute education judges on charges of election fraud.

“We remind the Guatemalan judiciary and other public authorities that access to power and its exercise in accordance with a democratic and constitutional state of law are an essential element of democracy and a guarantee that “It cannot be circumvented through fraud and manipulation of the law,” he said. The former presidents stated this in their open letter this Saturday.

Among the signatories are former Mexican presidents, Vicente Fox (2000–2006) and Felipe Calderon (2006–2012), In addition to former leaders of Panama Nicolás Ardito Barletta (1984–1985) and Mireya Moscoso (1999–2004), 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias (Costa Rica, 2006–2010) and former President of the Spanish Government Mariano Rajoy (2011–2018) .).

(EFE)