The US says it is concerned that Guatemala’s attorney general is “trying to undermine democracy”.

(CNN Spanish) — Eric Jacobstein, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central America, said this Thursday that he is concerned about the political situation in Guatemala due to recent post-election events. Change of regime and opening of polling stations after review by Supreme Election Tribunal.

Jacobstein said on CNN en Español’s “Conclusions.” “What is happening now is very worrying,” referring to the political crisis, the attorney general said, accusing “and other corrupt elements” of “undermining the will of the Guatemalan people.”

“What happened on Tuesday in Guatemala by the Attorney General and Rafael Krucic is very disturbing: opening the boxes, counting the votes. We already know. [que] The Supreme Electoral Tribunal said: Bernardo Arevalo is the winner, he is the President-elect. The OAS said the same. Now the Attorney General is trying to undermine democracy. It’s very disturbing,” Jacobstein told CNN en Español.

“The actions of the Attorney General are worse than before. What he did at the ballot boxes is unprecedented,” he added.

CNN reached out to Guatemala’s Public Ministry for comment on Jacobstein’s statements, but has yet to hear back.

This week, Arévalo announced the temporary suspension of the transition process “until the necessary institutional political conditions are re-established” after the Public Ministry’s audit of the TSE.

Arévalo condemned raids on election facilities, during which agents of the Public Ministry opened ballot boxes and photographed their contents. The president-elect asked the Attorney General of the Republic, Consuelo Boras, Judge Freddy Orellana and other officials of the current government to resign.

“We present a request for a preliminary hearing against Prosecutor Consuelo Boras and Judge Freddy Orellana and a complaint against Prosecutor Rafael Krucic and Assistant Prosecutor Cynthia Monterosso,” Arevalo said on Tuesday, September 12.

In response to these complaints, the Public Ministry said it was not trying to change votes or the constitutional order.

“Procedures carried out at the Center for Election Process Operations (COP) are carried out under the protection of a court order, which does not encroach on the powers of the Supreme Election Tribunal,” the public ministry said in a statement.

He added, “[las diligencias] They do not represent recounting of votes, switching of votes, questioning of election results, and do not violate the will of the people and do not amount to “violation of constitutional order”.

Prosecutor Karručić told local media that the raids would continue, adding that they had no direct connection to the Semilla Movement, the party that elected the president.

“I make it clear that this procedure has nothing to do directly or indirectly with favoring or harming any political party or its leaders. They are merely investigative procedures, which are carried out within the constitutional framework of the public ministry, but I make it clear that no harm should be done to any political party or its leaders. “The procedure is being carried out vigorously,” commented Kuruch.

Jacobstein says America supports Arévalo

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Central America added this Thursday that people “trying to undermine elections” are “increasingly isolated.”

“I have to say that people who are trying to undermine the election are increasingly isolated, and this is what I saw when I went to Guatemala last week. Yes, there are institutions like the Attorney General, there are corrupt people, and we absolutely condemn what they are doing,” Jacobstein said.

Jacobstein noted that the charges against the Semilla movement were “absolutely ridiculous”. Arévalo’s elected movement is currently facing investigations into alleged irregularities in the party registration process, which the party denies.

“They are trying to cancel the party, they are trying to weaken President-elect Arrivalo,” said Jacobstein, who reaffirmed his support for the president-elect.

Jacobstein said he had a “very constructive” meeting with Arévalo in which they discussed the current situation and future vision.

“What impressed me the most is that I see him as very pragmatic. He wants to work with all the actors in Guatemala: his party and all parties in Congress and the private sector,” America said. Officer..

“He realizes that he has to be president not just for his party but for everyone. So we had a very good conversation,” he added.

As for what the U.S. can do in the case, the deputy assistant secretary for Central America said his country has “tools that can be used in the case of corrupt individuals.” “We can remove visas, impose sanctions, so we’re always ready to think about the tools we have,” he explained.

— With information from Ivan Pérez Sarmenti, Julian Zamora and Fernando Almánzar from CNN en Español.