The U.S. Gains an Anti-Corruption Ally in Central America

Written by Jose Aguilar | September 10, 2023

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Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America, had presidential run-off elections on August 20^th. Bernardo Arévalo won with 58% of the votes against the former first lady Sandra Torres, who got 37% of the vote. Despite winning the elections, the Semilla (seed) party was temporarily suspended by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in Guatemala on dubious allegations. The suspension of the party will affect fundraising efforts, and their members elected to Congress will not be able to hold committee assignments. Therefore, this suspension fits a pattern of actions and policies to weaken the opposition candidate and his party before the upcoming presidential term.

In the last decade, Guatemala has struggled with its fight against corruption. In the previous presidency, the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) term was not renewed in 2019. Therefore, Guatemala went from being an example in the region for its stance against public and private corruption to becoming a fragile democracy. The civic society has been at the forefront of organizing and leading the public, which made Arévalo’s win possible. This is another example of how a strong civic society is important for democracy.

Multiple individuals in Guatemala whom the United States has included on the list of corrupt and undemocratic actors in 2022 are the ones leading the legal challenges against Arevalo and The Semilla party. The Department of State and President Joe Biden have publicly supported Arévalo’s election on multiple instances. They have communicated their support in multiple tweets and press releases where they call to respect the will of the Guatemalan people by respecting the election results. The Department of State states that election interference in Guatemala is a grave threat to democracy.

The Organization of American States (OAS) sent an electoral mission to Guatemala. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) posted a statement about the attacks against Arévalo and his party. This exemplifies how critical this win is for the democracy in Guatemala, and the attention it has received worldwide has been significant. Arévalo is expected to start his presidential term on January 14, 2024. The legal challenges against Arévalo and the Semilla are still ongoing. Therefore, it is vital for the international community to support an anti-corruption ally in Central America.