In recent hours, the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed its “concern” about the new raid on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) of Guatemala and stated that the prosecutor’s office wants to “sow doubts” about the recent elections.
The OAS “views with great concern the new raid carried out at the headquarters of the TSE, and the request for the lifting of immunity requested by the Public Ministry against the regular and alternate magistrates for the alleged commission of crimes of fraud, breach of duties and abuse of authority,” the regional entity said in a statement released Friday night.
He added that the OAS electoral mission considers that the Public Ministry “is carrying out intimidating practices and trying to sow doubts about the electoral process and the results of the popular will expressed unequivocally at the polls in both electoral rounds.”
This is the fifth raid by the prosecutor’s office against the court within an investigation process into alleged irregularities in the past elections, although the Public Ministry clarified that this latest procedure in search of electoral records is not related to the case being pursued against the Semilla Movement, winner of the presidential second round.
“For the OAS, this permanent siege without foundations or clear motivation by the Public Ministry constitutes political persecution similar to those carried out in authoritarian regimes,” the organization stated in the text cited by the Sputnik news agency.
The OAS also said that in yesterday’s procedure, violations of due process were committed that “constitute an obvious abuse of power and a violation of constitutional rights and the law on political parties.”
After the raid, the elected president Bernardo Arévalo called to defend democracy and stop the attempts of “coup” groups to alter the constitutional order led by the Public Ministry and the so-called “pact of the corrupt.”
“It is time for Guatemalans to say no loud and clear against the coup plotters and to assert our right to free expression and peaceful demonstration against the unjustified excesses of power and demand respect for the Constitution and democracy,” Arévalo called in a statement.
The OAS said its electoral mission confirmed the results of the elections and that at no time did it observe or receive evidence that questioned the integrity of the process.
Due to the questions about the electoral process and the case against Semilla for alleged falsification of affiliations, Arévalo suspended the transition process two weeks ago and denounced an attempt to frustrate his inauguration, scheduled for January.
Source: Ambito
