Guatemala - June 2023

On 25 June, Guatemalans voted in general elections to determine the composition of the legislature, their representatives to the Central American Parliament, as well as their president and vice president. Bernardo Arevalo, a lawmaker and former diplomat, and Sandra Torres, also politician and former first lady, will head to a run-off on 20 August, after no candidate received majority support in the first round. Notably, the number of spoiled ballots reached 17.38 per cent, greater than the number of votes received by the leading candidate (Sandra Torres, with 15.86 per cent). According to experts, the high number of null ballots shows voter’s dissatisfaction with the ‘electoral offer’. 

Voter turnout passed 59 per cent for both the parliamentary and presidential elections. In Congress, women’s representation overall remained the same. 31 women deputies were elected, out of 160 seats (one less than in the current legislature).

Sources: Washington Office on Latin America , Infobae, Republica, International IDEA 

José Rubén Zamora, founder of El Periódico, a widely recognized Guatemalan newspaper and news media outlet, was sentenced to six years imprisonment for money laundering. His prosecution and conviction have been denounced as retaliation for the paper’s criticism of the Giammattei government. Zamora was cleared of other charges of influence peddling and blackmail. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of forty years imprisonment and have expressed they will appeal the six-year sentence in order to obtain a harsher penalty. 

Human rights groups have stated Zamora’s trial has been plagued with irregularities, including due process violations, and the prosecution of members of his defence team. 

El Periódico published its last online edition in May due to the harassment and prosecutions faced by its journalists, after its offices had been previously closed by the government. 

Sources: El País, Article 19,  British Broadcasting Corporation