Last year, Guatemala went through one of the most tense electoral processes in the country’s history, following prosecutors tried to set aside the election results and prevent Arevalo from being sworn in.
– A human rights activist I met said: “Democracy is still in danger. We must do everything necessary to change the “status quo”, and I completely agree with that assessment, says UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk at a press conference in the capital, Guatemala City.
During his visit to the country this week, Turk has met with Arevalo, civil rights representatives, indigenous leaders and people from the business world. He says it has been a priority for him to support the country’s efforts to strengthen the democratic system.
– For a state to function, the three state powers must work in harmony. Currently, that is not the case. The polarization between the institutions is enormous, says Türk, while the legislative, executive and judicial powers in the Central American country are constantly clashing.
Since he took over as president in January. Arevalo has suffered many defeats in Congress, where he only has the support of 23 out of 160 representatives.
#Democracy #Guatemala #remains #risk
2024-07-22 01:59:01
