Guatemala Political Turmoil Continues as Ex-Minister Arrested After Refusing To Arrest Pro-Bernardo Arevalo Protesters

By Rick Martin Jan 11 2024, 20:30 PM EST

The political unrest in Guatemala continued after the former Interior Minister, who refused to use violence against protesters, was arrested for allegedly not carrying out his duties and instead chose to go into dialogue with them soon after protests erupted as anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo was being harassed by the government after he won the presidential election last year.

The former minister, Napoleon Barrientos, resigned from his position last October rather than comply with the court's orders to use force against the pro-democracy protesters. He was arrested in his home, with police leading him out with handcuffs while wearing a bulletproof vest.

According to the Associated Press, as he was being led out by police, Barrientos told reporters that he did not know why he was being arrested. However, the Guatemala Attorney General's Office stated that he was arrested because he did not comply with a court order to maintain public order.

Instead of complying with the order, Barrientos tried to engage the protesters through dialogue. This did not make the Guatemala AG happy and ordered him to be fired as Interior Minister. However, before he could be fired, he resigned.

Soon after Arevalo won the presidency, a litany of investigations were launched by the Guatemala AG against him and the country's electoral tribunal, including raiding the headquarters of the election body and confiscating ballot boxes to the protest of the judges overseeing the election. The investigations were ordered by Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who is under a US corruption watchlist.

Shortly after, Arevalo, the election body, and Arevalo's party, the Seed Movement, faced various investigations. Protesters started demanding Porras to resign from her post, which she refused, only intensifying the investigations even further.

The actions of Porras against the president-elect, his party, the electoral body, and protesters have been widely condemned by rights groups, international observers, and other countries, including the United States and the EU, as well as other Latin American and Caribbean countries and the Organization of American States (OAS).

President-Elect Bernardo Arevalo Announces Cabinet Ahead of Swearing-In Ceremony

Despite the Guatemala AG's actions, she might not be able to stop Bernardo Arevalo from taking office. With his imminent swearing-in ceremony scheduled for later this month, Arevalo has already announced who his new cabinet members will be.

The Associated Press noted that his picks include an even number of female and male Cabinet members for the first time in Guatemala's history, with Arevalo claiming that his picks were honorable people and he promised to create an "autonomous anti-corruption commission to analyze his administration's work."

His picks include a few people who are not members of his Seed Movement party, including diplomat Carlos Ramiro Martínez. However, he also has a controversial pick in Francisco Jimenez Irungaray as his interior minister, as he was cited by a United Nations anti-corruption mission for alleged involvement in the improper awarding of a government contract.

OAS Announces Representative for Guatemala President-Elect Bernardo Arevalo Inauguration

Meanwhile, as Arevalo readies himself and his new cabinet to take office, the OAS has announced they will be sending a representative to Guatemala for the new president's inauguration.

According to the St. Kitts and Nevis Observer, the organization is sending a contingent of five ambassadors to Guatemala. It will be led by Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador, Sir Ronald Sanders. Ambassadors from Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, and the United States will also be involved.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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