Guatemala: Chamber of Commerce rejects peasant blockades

Peasants keep calling for protests in Guatemala 1:45

(CNN Spanish) -

Several groups of peasants began demonstrations and blockades in different parts of Guatemala this Monday morning.

They demand the resignation of President Alejandro Giammattei and Attorney General Consuelo Porras.

So far, several blockades have been reported on different roads in the country.

The Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce rejected, through a statement, these protest measures as "abusive and illegal actions" by these groups.

"Demonstrating is a constitutional right. But it must be exercised without affecting the constitutional rights of freedom of action, free movement and freedom of commerce, industry and work," the statement detailed.

The Chamber of Commerce also demanded that law enforcement authorities release the closed routes.

The call for a national strike was made this Sunday by the Peasant Development Committee (CODECA) through its Twitter account.

The movement asks to raise the process of the Popular and Plurinational Constituent Assembly.

The Oliverio Castañeda de León University Students Association also joined the protests from Guatemala City.

These demonstrations began as a rejection of the removal of Juan Francisco Sandoval, former head of the Special Prosecutor Against Impunity (FECI), on July 23.

The official was displaced due to alleged "humiliations" by the now former official against the attorney general herself.

Guatemala