Days later, Congress retracted the budget. Demonstrators set fire to tires and threw paint over police deployed to protect government buildings. [4], On November 20, 2020, Vice President Guillermo Castillo called for himself and President Alejandro Giammattei to resign. A few families retain all the nations wealth.. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Guatemala protesters set congress on fire video report. The divides in the Central American country are many: About a fifth of the population still supports the controversial president, while a majority disapproves of his administration. Thursday's demonstrations came after hundreds of Guatemalans protested outside the presidential palace on Saturday after Sandoval's firing. We are fed up with seeing the corrupt actions of this government, She said. No dialogue is possible with him. Giammattei had not responded publicly to that proposal and Castillo did not share the presidents reaction to his proposal. Once they arrived at the plaza in front of the building, they set up a guillotine. All of this has helped Giammattei strengthen an alliance with the military and parts of the business establishment, as well as with parties that control Congress necessary for his own political survival, perhaps, given his lack of a strong constituency of his own. The protests have gained momentum sinceGuatemala's Attorney General Maria Porras last week removed anti-graft fighter Juan Francisco Sandoval as head of the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI), a move that drew condemnation from Washington. This shows the indignation and discontent, he said. Since he fled, Sandoval has told various media outlets that the president was linked to an incident last year, where 122 million quetzals, equivalent to over $15 million, were found stuffed in suitcases in the house of a former infrastructure minister. The revelation of corruption in the administration led to weeks of massive protests across the country, culminating in the resignation of Perez Molina, his vice president, and several government officials. [4] Among the targets of the protesters was the Supreme Court of Justice which recently withdrew immunity from prosecution for constitutional magistrates. The magistrates had blocked efforts by politicians to stop investigations into corruption in the government. He may succeed. Mr. Theres a lot of fear within the private sector, said Luis Barrueto, a human rights advocate. But with just over 2 million doses, Guatemala doesnt have nearly enough for its 17 million people. In 2015, waves of such anti-corruption demonstrations brought about the downfall of then-president Otto Perez Molina. National protests calling for his removal. [1] Hundreds of protesters also gathered in other parts of the country. setana We have a chronic lack of ethical reflection. The presidents and the attorney generals calculations may have been influenced by the perception of leverage granted by the privileged position assigned to Guatemala by the U.S., enshrined in Vice President Kamala Harris recent visit, said Tiziano Breda, an analyst for International Crisis Group in Guatemala. Discontent had been building on social media over the 2021 budget and clashes erupted during demonstrations on Friday. A physician by training, Giammattei has been widely considered to have mismanaged the countrys response to the pandemic, and, officially, over 10,000 Guatemalans have died from COVID. Audience ratings certified by ACPM/OJD. Guatemalas historical social inequality has only worsened because of economic deterioration intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic. Risk management services powered by intelligence and technology that keep people safe wherever and whenever needed. In an interview with a local television channel last weekend, Porras said she always acted with transparency. We dont see any changes. You can either click on the link in your confirmation email or simply re-enter your email address below to confirm it. Bishop Moscoso said that many Catholic protesters expected the church to give them full support. CODECA plans to protest on roadways across the country, including the Panamerican, Santa Rosa, Cocales, Guazacapan, and Taxisco highways. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, youll have unlimited access to the website. Members of a Guatemalan peasant farmers' organization blocked more than 17 roads nationwide for the second consecutive day as part of their latest anti-government protest. Seventeen roads are currently being blockaded in both directions, including routes leading to the neighboring countries of Mexico and El Salvador, according to the Provial roadside assistance force, which said other roadblocks have already been cleared. If he really wanted to address the issue of the pandemic, there are other mechanisms they are not using, like ensuring that malls, restaurants and tourist spots comply with (sanitary) measures.. Indigenous demonstrators are calling for the president and the attorney general to step down as government corruption increases. Reporting by Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City; with additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Dan Grebler, Daniel Flynn and Aurora Ellis, Canada home price index growth slows again in June - Teranet, U.S. again defends Brazil's voting system questioned by Bolsonaro, Mexico's Arrenda, aimed at making renting easy, raises $26.5 mln in early round, As borrowing costs rise, Canadian companies look to delay expansion plans, U.S. launches dispute talks over Mexican energy policies that 'undermine' U.S. firms, See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has made the fight against corruption a central plank of its strategy towards the region as it aims to address the root causes of illegal migration to the United States, which has increased this year. Since 2020, Guatemalas historical social inequalitywhich especially affects the Indigenous and rural populationshas only worsened because of economic deterioration intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic and a serious political crisis created by, critics charge, Mr. Giammatteis increasing authoritarian tendencies. Following the removal of Sandoval, the US State Department deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter announced on Tuesday that the US was partially suspending cooperation with Porras, stating that the US had lost confidence in the countrys willingness to fight corruption. No dialogue is possible with him. Protests are likely to result in short-term localized ground travel delays, including on alternative road routes. Heres what I learned. He is capturing the state, and now we cant say that there is a proper separation of powers in the republic.. A demonstrator is arrested during clashes between the police and protesters in Guatemala City on Saturday. Protesters also set bus stations on fire. More than 7,000 protesters gathered in the capital city to demonstrate against the bill, which included cuts to education and health spending and increased funding for meals and expenses for lawmakers. [8], President Giammattei condemned the events, saying: "I reiterate that people have the right to protest as allowed by law. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. The Vatican released a new policy consolidating the investment portfolios of all offices and keeping all current and future investments in line with the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. This is the straw that broke the camels back, Rosal told Al Jazeera. Theres no political project other than to be president and now to pay people back who financed him.. Several people were injured. [7], The protests also included peaceful demonstrations in the nation's capital. Demonstrators carry signs reading "Power to the People" during a protest to demand the resignation of Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei and Attorney General Maria Porras, in Guatemala City, Guatemala July 29, 2021. This is a guy who has been part of five political parties, and who had been trying to be president for 20 years, said Gabriel Wer, executive director of Instituto 25A, an NGO. A national strike organized after the firing of anti-graft prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval drew thousands on July 29, with protesters and high-profile figures calling for Giammatteis resignation. The same split appears in the Catholic Church. U.S. Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle Ricardo Zuniga, when asked about Giammattei's comments, told reporters in Washington that Sandoval's dismissal had raised serious questions Guatemala's commitment to fighting graft. "(Sandoval) exercised selective justice since he tried to prosecute people of opposite ideology," she said. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. The United States, which strongly condemned Sandoval's dismissal, said on Tuesday it was pausing some cooperation withGuatemala's attorney general, as it tries to apply pressure on Central American governments to end impunity. Sandoval also said he was investigating how unidentified businessmen from Russia had allegedly delivered bags of cash to the president in a meeting at his house, an event, he said, which was in some way linked to the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. Access Our Library of Risk Management Content. The president has denied being involved in corruption. Were worried that we cant invest in a country where there is corruption everywhere you look, Mara Fernanda Rivera, the CNEs president, told AQ. Ms. Falla explained that Indigenous movements that have mobilized during the recent demonstration hope to rewrite the Guatemalan Constitution to create a plurinational state, that is, one that recognizes that Guatemala is made up of several different Indigenous nations. While Guatemalas most powerful business organization, CACIF, put out a bland statement that did not condemn Sandovals firing, some groups have expressed concern, including the American Chamber of Commerce in Guatemala and National Business Council (CNE), which formed this year. Opposition legislator Andrea Villagrn said it was unacceptable that the government was focusing its efforts on limiting protests rather than containing the pandemic.
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