Guatemalan authorities have arrested Indigenous leader Luis Pacheco and accused him of terrorism amid political tensions over 2023 protests and transition to power.
Pacheco’s arrest is seen as retaliation for his role in leading widespread protests in 2023.
His supporters assert that Pacheco is innocent but a victim of a political witchhunt.
The 2023 protests opposed efforts to undermine President Bernardo Arévalo’s transition to power.
Pacheco, now serving as Arévalo’s deputy energy minister and former president of the 48 Cantons, represents Indigenous communities in the western highlands.
His arrest raises questions about political motives and the treatment of Indigenous leaders in the current government landscape.