OAS says legal actions in Guatemala appear aimed at keeping president-elect from taking power

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The head of the Organization of American States' election observation mission said Friday that the actions taken by Guatemala's justice system against the Seed Movement party of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo appear to be aimed at preventing him from taking power.

Arévalo echoed that concern at his own news conference Friday in which he called on Guatemalans to resist what he characterised as an attempt to overthrow his government before it takes office.

The president-elect also received a call from US Vice President Kamala Harris congratulating him on his victory and pledging to work closely with his government, as the Biden administration works to make the transition to Arévalo appear inevitable.

Eladio Loizaga of the Organization of American States told a special meeting of the permanent council the August 20 election vote was a peaceful and transparent election that left no doubt as to the will of the people.

But in summarizing the various legal actions taken by the Attorney General's Office against the Seed Movement, Loizaga said there appears to be clear political intent.

“Given the documented conditions, it is impossible that the Electoral Observation Mission would arrive at any other conclusion than that in this very specific case the mechanisms and tools of Guatemalan justice are being used politically” against the Seed Movement, he said, adding that the behaviour of Guatemalan authorities has been “selective, disproportionate and clearly tailored to the political moment.”

Loizaga said that preventing Arévalo from taking power in January would break the constitutional order and go against the will of the people.

At the request of prosecutors, a judge suspended the Seed Movement's legal status for alleged wrongdoing in the party's collection of the signatures needed to register years earlier.

This week, Guatemala's Congress declared the Seed Movement's seven lawmakers — one of whom is Arévalo — independents, which bars them from holding leadership positions.

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