New lawsuit against President Arévalo and his Seed Party

By María Josefina Arce

Guatemala's Public Prosecutor's Office is continuing its harassment of the government of Bernardo Arévalo, a situation that dates back to last year, when he surprisingly made it to the second round of the general elections, won with almost 60% of the vote and was finally sworn in as president on 14 January.

The institution, led by the dubious Attorney General Consuelo Porras, has not stopped trying to undermine the country's governability and the anti-corruption fight announced by Arévalo.

Now, in a new chapter of the dirty campaign against Arévalo, the legal status of the Guatemalan president's Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement) has just been suspended for alleged irregularities in its registration.

The ruling was issued by Judge Freddy Orellana and followed by the Civil Registry of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which based its decision on a judicial process initiated by the public prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in the context of the 2023 elections.

It is noteworthy that the court order was issued just a few days after Congress reformed the law that allows a criminal judge to suspend a political party.

The names are the same as those already known for the political persecution of the head of state and his political party since the start of the campaign for last year's presidential elections.

The Attorney General's Office, sympathetic to the then President Alejandro Gianmattei, who was accused of corruption, tried to keep Arévalo out of the race and, after his victory, tried to annul the results and prevent him from taking office.

Arévalo has repeatedly called for the Attorney General's resignation for dereliction of duty, a demand supported by much of Guatemalan society.

Porras has remained in office, however, and has unsuccessfully pursued legal action to strip the president of his immunity for allegedly making improper payments.

In response to the new action, the Seed Movement has filed two amparos to overturn his suspension with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which must issue a ruling within an unspecified period of time.

Arévalo and his political party have faced a difficult road, with constant attacks from a corrupt elite concerned about his commitment to fighting this scourge and organized crime.