In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of Guatemala has rejected an appeal by president-elect Bernardo Arevalo to suspend legal actions against him. Arevalo, who is set to assume office in January, described these legal challenges as a concerted effort to obstruct his presidency.
Leonel Marroquin, a judge on the court, confirmed the decision, which was announced in a video briefing to the press. The court’s decision comes as a blow to Arevalo, who is widely regarded as a political outsider and an anti-corruption advocate. His unexpected victory in the August elections was seen as a significant upset and has been perceived as a threat to the established political elite.
Since his electoral win, Arevalo has been embroiled in a series of legal battles, including efforts to suspend his political party and block his ascension to the presidency. These legal challenges have sparked widespread protests in support of Arevalo.
In a move to counter these challenges, Arevalo had appealed to the high court in September, requesting the annulment of decisions against him and proposing legal action against Attorney General Consuelo Porras, Judge Fredy Orellana, and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche. Notably, these three officials have been identified as “corrupt actors” by the United States and are barred from entering the country.
Amidst these developments, the Organization of American States (OAS) issued a statement on Wednesday, condemning attempts to disrupt the peaceful transition of power to the president-elect scheduled for January 14. The OAS called for an end to what it described as acts of intimidation in Guatemala, underscoring the international concern over the nation’s political stability.