Guatemala's social-democratic presidential candidate, Bernardo Arevalo, on Wednesday denounced a "political persecution" against his party after the issuance of an arrest warrant for one of the body's leaders a month before the second round.
«
We will be firm in saying that she (Cinthya Rojas) is not responsible for what she is accused of and that she is unfortunately today the first clear victim of political persecution" against the Semilla party, he told a press conference.
'Political persecution'
«
I am innocent. The arrest warrant is a clear case of political persecution," Cinthya Rojas, accused of alleged irregularities in the party's registration with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) between 2017 and 2018, said on Twitter. Bernardo Arevalo and Sandra Torres, both Social Democrats, came out ahead of the 22 presidential candidates after a first round marked by high abstention and a large number of spoiled ballots.
The winner will replace President Alejandro Giammattei on 14 January, ending twelve years of right-wing government. The arrest warrant for Cinthya Rojas was issued by the same judge who last week suspended the legal registration of the Semilla party, at the request of Attorney General Rafael Curruchiche, who is under sanctions from Washington over prosecutions of anti-corruption judges.
" READ ALSO In Mexico, these journalists who are murdered with impunity
The Constitutional Court, the country's highest court, however, suspended the decision the next day, which was criticized both in Guatemala and abroad, as an attempt to remove Bernardo Arevalo from the second round. Guatemalan law states that "a party may not be suspended after an election has been called and until it has taken place."
Bernardo Arevalo, son of former President Juan José Arevalo (1945-1951), said he had filed a complaint with the electoral observation mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) for "the political persecution to which we are subjected". He added that he had asked the OAS Permanent Council to adopt measures "to defend the electoral process and democracy in Guatemala."