The Organization of American States unanimously criticized the “intimidation” of the Guatemalan judiciary against President-elect Bernardo Arevalo.

(Washington, United States) All OAS countries (Organization of American States) consent This Friday By acclamation, a statement criticizing the judicial process conducted by Guatemala’s public ministry, which he accused of “intimidating” elected President Bernardo Arevalo.

The previous discussion was very difficult. “No, no,” Guatemala’s foreign minister, Mario Bocaro, signaled in the room, before the permanent council meeting began. And discuss with the ambassadors of the countries that promote the declaration.

Some went, others came. The meeting was scheduled for 10 am (local time), but an hour later, and with the Secretary-General Luis Almagro Negotiations continued with all representatives in the room.

Guatemala’s foreign minister refused He took some paragraphs to the Chilean bank, where Ambassador Sebastian Krajevic, one of the promoters of the script, had an open document with the declaration.

Boccaro sat there and began to put his hand through the document to make points that he did not accept. After that, the discussion continued with several representatives about this computer. The most tense moment came when US Ambassador Frank Mora pointed out some aspects that Boccaro rejected.

It is not usual to see a foreign minister negotiating inside the permanent council chamber with ambassadors of other countries, but the foreign minister of Guatemala did its best to soften a statement critical of its country.

When the session began, an hour and ten minutes later than expected, Boccaro was the first to speak and criticize the OAS: “It is really disturbing that in the face of every situation that happens in my country, a permanent council is convened.”

Following critical reports from the Mission to Observe Elections (MOE) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Guatemalan foreign minister once again asked for the floor to request an intermediary room for a last-ditch effort to negotiate changes to the elections. Announcing that he didn’t like it. He requested a “positive” text.

As in the Organization of American States, states seek to make their declarations by consensus, the representatives went to a private meeting that lasted just over an hour and an agreement was reached.

Finally, Buckaro got the ad -Although he continues to criticize the public prosecution- I commend the position of President Alejandro Giammetti.

And the text, which was approved by all countries, which is unusual on sensitive issues, indicates the interest of the entire continent in it Post-election actions of political actors. the “eliminatecarried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The Organization of American States notes that the Public Prosecution Service applies “intimidationFor the elected government party and confirms the “suspension of the movement of seeds.” It contradicts the principles of representative democracyHe also criticizes the “acts of intimidation against members of the Simela movement and their families.”

In the ad part, it calls on all Guatemalan authorities to “respect civil rights”. It stresses that the separation of powers must be respected, and therefore the public prosecutor’s office and the judiciary must protect political rights and not interfere in the democratic process. “Separation of powers is necessary,” the text states, adding that it is “unacceptable” to use the judiciary “to suspend civil and political rights.”

Boccaro was able to include in the declaration an acknowledgment of his government for coordinating the transition of power and ensuring the personal security of the president and vice president-elect.

Once the resolution was approved, the representatives of the various countries spoke about the situation in Guatemala and welcomed the approval of the resolution. unanimous.

Among the many who expressed their views was Uruguayan Ambassador Washington Abdalla, and I was disturbed by some of what Foreign Minister Bocaro said. Abdullah highlighted the use of the word “intimidation” in the text of the resolution, and Abdullah’s presentation concluded with applause from a large part of the permanent council members.

In the middle of the discussion, after more than half an hour of Abdallah’s speech, Boccaro asked for the floor again to request a “right of reply” against Abdallah. The Foreign Minister realizes that Uruguay’s statements affect his country’s sovereignty. Former Uruguayan President José Mujica, a political rival of the current Uruguayan government, was quoted as saying that “the sovereignty of any country is not negotiable.”

“I can’t let you speak the word”Bullying, bullying, bullying‘. What I tell you today is: respect the ambassador, respect the ambassador, respect the ambassador. We are all here defending democracy, and you have no right to make assurances that are only compatible with the Guatemalan legal system.”

He immediately defended the actions of the Public Prosecution Service. He referred to a statement issued by the body headed by Consuelo Porras, the attorney general accused by the United States of corruption: “It clearly says that Parliament is an independent institution not subject to any national or international entity, whose main task is to investigate all facts that have been denounced by citizens.

The Foreign Minister described what is going on around what the Public Ministry is doing as “disinformation campaigns,” and said that this “confused the public.”

“We’ve come to the consensus that we’re celebrating, but the speech you’re giving seems to change the narrative. Respect, Ambassador.” He said that when he talks about “intimidation” it is The “affirmation of a fact” is spelled out, he says, by the Guatemalan legal system. When Bokaro finished his speech, his country’s delegation applauded.

Abdullah replied to Bokaro that the only thing he had done was to highlight something in the declaration that his government had approved. The word has been used four times. For the first time, the report notes, the OAS is concerned about the “continued judicialization of the process and the prosecution’s practice of intimidating electoral authorities.” The text then refers to “the intimidation of members of the Seed Movement”. It further states that “separation of powers is necessary for the exercise of democracy, and that the use of the legal system as a tool to intimidate and unjustifiably suspend civil and political rights is unacceptable.”

Finally, in point 7 of the operative section, states require Almagro to tell the prosecution on his next visit to the country that “the use of the legal system as a tool to Intimidation And change incorrectly The election results are not acceptable.”

“You have signed this,” Abdullah replied to Bocarlo when he re-read this point of the decision. “And that’s what we just signed, and I didn’t leave the script. All you did was point out something important. “You can’t feel uncomfortable about this, but this is what we just signed with you,” Abdullah said.

“If you really believe what you signed up for, we are in this together. History will tell,” Abdullah closed.

Almagro will travel to Guatemala next week, Infobae announced. The new visit to the country will be to participate in the beginning of the transition process between Giamaiti and Arevalo.

The Organization of American States pledged to the new and outgoing presidents to monitor the transitional process, which will begin next Monday, the fourth of this month.

The statement of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States asked Almagro to plan that mission and to submit periodic reports to the organization.

In addition, the states are asking Almagro to resume meetings with all actors in the Guatemalan state, and in particular with the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Last month, Almagro met with all the country’s political, judicial and electoral authorities.

But the states are now asking him to meet again with Attorney General Consuelo Porras, to demand that the Public Ministry stop “intimidating” the elected authorities.

At the end of the Permanent Council, Almagro presented his plan of action and identified the members of the delegation that would work on the new task of cooperation in the transitional phase.

Almagro said that “the success of democracy in Guatemala lies in Arevalo’s assumption of power in January” and that “any other option is unacceptable” because it would mean “a change in the constitutional system.”

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