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before the investiture ceremony, which is postponed because the outgoing Congress deputies have not yet sworn in those elected and this is a necessary requirement to complete the transfer of command.
“Here in Guatemala, Congress of the Republic still does not agree to elect its board of directors which is what President Bernardo Arévalo should take office in”, explained Petro on his X account (formerly Twitter).
An urgent meeting of foreign ministers is scheduled by the Chancellor of Costa Rica in Guatemala City at three o’clock in the afternoon here, time. Three hours late and the Guatemalan Congress still does not allow the inauguration of the president elected by the people of Guatemala.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 14, 2024
During the meeting, Petro and Arévalo spoke about the situation in Congress that delays the inaugurationbut also other themes that are part of the bilateral agenda that Colombia and Guatemala want to build.
Both leaders spoke about the new realities in America, with reference to mafias and political corruption which is at the origin of the violence that is plaguing the region, at the same time that they proposed a regional security dialogue, according to information from the Colombian Presidency.
Uncertain situation
Uncertainty has taken over the situation in Parliamentwhile hundreds of Arévalo supporters gathered around Congress to protest against these delaying maneuvers.
Confrontations, insults, deputies locked in locked rooms and general chaos describe what is happening in the Guatemalan Congress, as EFE was able to see.
The deputies of the new legislature planned to elect the new president of Congress at noon (6pm GMT).but as of around 3pm local time (9pm GMT), the outgoing Congress had not yet certified the 160 new members of Parliament, meaning the president’s investiture is still on hold.
The inauguration of the new Guatemalan Congress for the period 2024-2028 must be held as a prerequisite for the inauguration of the elected president, Bernardo Arévalo de Leónceremony that will be held at the National Theater in front of a dozen heads of state present in the Guatemalan capital.
This circumstance raised fears of a possible “coup d’état”.as the elected president himself has been denouncing, accusing the head of the Public Ministry, Consuelo Porras, and “other corrupt actors” of obstructing and preventing his inauguration.
On Saturday, Petro called on all presidents to attend the Arévalo de León ceremony support him in the face of attempts by the Public Ministry and other entities to prevent him from being sworn in as the new president, after obtaining a majority in the last elections.
Support from Colombia
“The Public Ministry, as in Peru, as in Colombia, had an adverse attitude towards the presidency and even tried to arrest the vice president elected by the people”, explained Petro.
What is more, The Colombian president also denounced that the Guatemalan authorities have not yet allowed his Defense Minister, Iván Velásquez, to enter the country.who served, under a UN mandate, as head of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).
The tension of this day has been the general tone of an electoral and transition process marked by attempts, since last July, by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministério Público) to outlaw the Semilla Movement party – the elected president’s main support – and prevent Arévalo de León from taking office on January 14th.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
