2023-10-10 03:23:11
In the middle of a day of protests and while riot police repressed demonstrators with tear gas in front of the National Palace of Culture, President Alejandro Giammattei criticized the actions that residents took eight days ago to demand the resignation of the attorney general, Consuelo Porras, and said that “The only thing that can put the democratic order at risk are calls for blockades.”
Although in recent days, several social sectors have demanded that Giammattei speak out on the population’s demands for Porras to leave office as head of the Public Ministry (MP), The president on his national network omitted that issue and called on the population to demand an end to the demonstrations that, In his opinion, those who participate in them “are not many, they are small pickets throughout the country, very consecutive.”
In his message Giammattei said that he was addressing Guatemalans “at a crucial moment” for the Nation, “convulsed with demonstrations and blockades,” so he urged them to demonstrate “without affecting other rights.”
“Unfortunately, after a week of protests, the supply of essential products and services “It has been stopped with serious consequences for the population, seriously threatened, as well as for the economy, which is already suffering million-dollar losses and affecting the pockets of everyone, especially the most vulnerable,” said the president.
In addition, he criticized the acts of vandalism that have occurred in some sectors “against businesses, businessmen and individuals in the midst of incidents that have begun to get out of control of those who have promoted the national strike, who have called for blockades that threaten to lead us to chaos.”
“It is imperative that we reflect on these acts and find a path that allows us to express our concerns, but in an authentically peaceful and respectful way,” said the president, who added that the blockades are not peaceful, which is why he assures that “all acts outside what is established in the law will no longer be tolerated. “The blockades are illegal.”
He also detailed that “the transition, alternation and transmission of power are priorities for social peace and the consolidation of the country’s democracy”; Furthermore, he said that “the only thing that can put the democratic order at risk are calls for blockades.”
He also said that they will request several arrest warrants and that, according to evidence they have gathered, they verified that “funds from abroad have been transferred to national NGOs from where the resources to pay for food have come from. portable health services and the logistics of blockades.”
According to the president “from these same countries we have had cyber attacks on the pages of the Executive, and assures that “many of the blockades in the west of the country have had the participation and advice of foreign people, who in some cases we have already identified and will be captured at the first opportunity.”
“This leads us to conclude that the destabilization of our Guatemala has foreign participation,” The president said without making it clear which countries he was referring to.
“Gentlemen, promoters of this supposed coup d’état, which is one of the biggest fallacies I have ever heard. Let me clarify that you cannot carry out a coup d’état against someone who is not governing. “You are responsible for what is happening, “The control of the protesters and blockades that you have called got out of hand,” he added.
He also called on the elected president Bernardo Arévalo “so that in a meeting with the presence of the OAS mediation mission we sit down to discuss about the route that must be taken to ensure the handover of power on January 14 of a country in peace and not in confrontation between the people.”
Giammattei insisted that he will hand over power on January 14 and that as a sign of his willingness to do so “includes my offer to the president-elect to have the presidential office, in the presidential house.”
For eight days, the blockades have been maintained to demand the departure of Attorney General Consuelo Porras, Prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche and Judge Fredy Orellana, after they ordered raid the electoral court for alleged anomalies in the elections disputed in the first and second round, last June and August.
Backed by the United States, the European Union and other countries and international organizations, Arévalo considers that the three officials are attempting against democracy and seek to prevent him from assuming the presidency on January 14.
Arévalo accuses them of leading a “coup d’état in progress” due to the fear of the power elites of his promise to fight corruption.
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