2023-12-01 08:40:03
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The Guatemalan Congress decided almost at midnight on Thursday to withdraw the immunity of four of the five electoral magistrates, who might be prosecuted, removed from their positions and annul the election of the next president, Bernardo Arévalo.
With 108 votes from pro-government deputies and allies in favor, Congress left Irma Palencia, Gabriel Aguilera, Mynor Franco and Ranulfo Rojas without immunity, who can now be investigated, arrested and stripped of their positions.
The withdrawal of immunity was requested by two far-right lawyers allied with former presidential candidate Zury Ríos — sixth in the elections — who are seeking to be investigated for allegedly having paid an extra cost for software used for quick counting in the past elections. and with whom they believe a fraud may have been committed.
The decision of the Legislature comes following an investigative commission made up of five deputies decided by majority and following an express process – which was completed in 9 of the 60 days required by law – to advise the plenary session to withdraw the immunity of electoral magistrates for the purchase and use of the computer system for Transmission of Preliminary Electoral Results (TREP).
In her statement before the commission, Karen Fisher, one of the lawyers who promoted the process, told the commissioners to hurry up with the process because “time is of the essence because January 14 is approaching,” the date on which the new president should take office.
Several deputies denounced on Wednesday that they were being paid for votes in the session.
The Attorney General’s Office of Guatemala, led by Consuelo Porras, has attacked the electoral process, once morest the elected president and once morest his political party, the Semilla Movement, as well as once morest electoral magistrates and more than 125,000 citizens who participated in the collection, counting and safeguarding the votes of millions of people.
Several governments, including the United States, and organizations such as the Organization of American States and the European Union have expressed their concern and alarm at the initiative of the prosecutor’s office.
In response to this process, the United States imposed sanctions on antidemocratic actors that included the withdrawal of visas.
Also on Thursday, Congress approved the budget for next year, which was denounced by Arévalo for trying to cut items such as health and education.
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