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GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — One person died and at least two more were injured by gunshots near a pro-democracy demonstration in Guatemala on Monday, local authorities said. Victor Gomez, spokesman for the volunteer firemen in Malacatan, near the border with Mexico, said it was not clear whether the victims were protesters themselves, or just caught nearby. The incident is the latest violent episode after 15 days of protests and roadblocks in the Central American country. On Sunday, Porras' supporters in Guatemala City called for violence against demonstrators blocking roads. They have called for the resignation of Porras, prosecutors Rafael Curruchiche and Cinthia Monterroso, and Judge Fredy Orellana.

Persons: Victor Gomez, General Consuelo Porras, Bernardo Arévalo, Alejandro Giammattei, Arévalo, ”, Porras, Napoleón Barrientos, Rafael Curruchiche, Cinthia, Judge Fredy Orellana Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, National Police, Interior Department, Central American, Movement Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Malacatan, Mexico, Guatemalan, Guatemala City, El

CNN —Anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo, from the progressive Movimiento Semilla party, appeared to have won Guatemala’s presidential election on Sunday, beating former first lady Sandra Torres in a race marred by fears of democratic backsliding. With more than 95% of the ballots counted, Arévalo won 59.1% of the vote compared to Torres’ 36.1%, according to official data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. A voter casts their ballot at a polling station during the presidential run-off election in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on August 20, 2023. Prosecutors and judges associated with the commission were arrested and investigated and many have since fled the country. Members of the media who have opposed corruption in their reporting have also faced legal consequences.

Persons: Bernardo Arévalo, Sandra Torres, Arévalo, Torres, Irma Palencia, “, ”, Alejandro Giammattei, Cristina Chiquin, Rafael Curruchiche, Department’s Engel, ” Curruchiche, José Rubén Zamora Organizations: CNN, Movimiento Semilla, Torres ’, Torres ’ Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza, Reuters, US, Central, United Locations: Guatemala, Guatemala City, Central American, United States, United Nations, Guatemalan

☆ Guatemala elections: Troubled vote looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Torres won 16% of the first-round vote in June with Arévalo coming in with 11.8% of the votes cast. “Guatemalans wanted an option on the ballot where they can vote to reject the current political system. Moises Castillo/APThis is the third presidential cycle Torres has competed in, losing in 2019 to current President Alejandro Giammattei. Guatemala currently recognizes Taiwan, and Arévalo has said he would like Guatemala to have relations with both Taipei and Beijing. Congress is set to be largely controlled by establishment parties following this year’s elections, including the outgoing president’s Vamos party and Torres’ UNE.

Persons: CNN —, Sandra Torres, Bernardo Arévalo –, Torres, Arévalo, “ Guatemalans, ” Will Freeman, backsliding, Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Reuters Arévalo, Rafael Curruchiche, ” Curruchiche, “, ” Freeman, Bukele, Alvaro Colom, Moises Castillo, Alejandro Giammattei, Juan José Arévalo, Freeman, Thelma Aldana, Aldana, Luis Von Ahn, Torres ’ Organizations: CNN, Council, Foreign Relations, United, Public Ministry, Reuters, Movimiento Semilla, US State Department, US, European, Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza, Getty, Duolingo, Torres ’ UNE Locations: backsliding, Guatemala, America, United Nations, Guatemala City, Spain, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, El Salvador, Taiwan, Taipei, Beijing

☆ Guatemala's Arevalo slams 'corrupt' raid on his party's offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Anti-graft presidential candidate of the Semilla political party Bernardo Arevalo holds a campaign rally ahead of the presidential run-off, in Sumpango, Guatemala, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File PhotoGUATEMALA CITY, July 21 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo called a Friday morning police raid on his party headquarters a "corrupt" show of "political persecution" just a month before the high-stakes run-off election. Video from outside the Semilla party offices posted by local newspaper Diario La Hora showed at least a couple of dozen uniformed police officers standing guard, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the building. In a post on Twitter, Arevalo derided the raid as a "flagrant demonstration of the political persecution we have denounced." The presidential hopeful has blamed the police action on a "corrupt minority" but did not go into further detail.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei, Sandra Torres, Rafael Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, Sofia Menuchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Police, Diario La, Twitter, U.S, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Sumpango, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Arevalo's, Central, Arevalo, Guatemala's, U.S .

☆ Guatemala prosecutor defends its probe into anti-graft presidential hopeful
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 14 (Reuters) - The Guatemalan prosecutors' office said on Friday it would continue its investigation into anti-graft party Semilla and that its actions were not meant to interfere with a presidential run-off set to take place next month. The office this week launched an investigation of Semilla, whose candidate Bernardo Arevalo, pledging to tackle entrenched corruption, took a surprise second place in the first-round vote in June. The prosecutor has alleged that Semilla committed fraud by using more than 5,000 fake signatures to register members. The prosecutor leading the investigation into Semilla, Rafael Curruchiche, said during a press conference on Friday that Guatemalans had come forward with complaints about Semilla. Curruchiche has previously targeted anti-graft campaigners and has been placed on the U.S. State Department's Engel List for "corrupt and undemocratic actors."

Persons: Semilla, Bernardo Arevalo, Rafael Curruchiche, Guatemalans, Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Torres, Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, Sofia Menchu, Kylie Madry, Sarah Kinosian, Cassandra Garrison, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, European Union, U.S, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, U.S, Semilla, U.S .

CNN —A Guatemalan court has suspended the party of one of the candidates in next month’s presidential run-off election, raising questions over the vote. Movimiento Semilla is the party of opposition candidate Bernardo Arévalo. The FECI investigation established at least 12 deceased people registered by Movimiento Semilla, according to Curruchich. He said in the video message that the party paid a total of approximately US$22,000 in exchange for 5,000 signatures with the aim of reaching the minimum necessary to become a political party and participate in elections. “And it’s evident that it does not have any legal support.”Guatemala has struggled with corruption and poor governance.

Persons: Rafael Curruchich, Bernardo Arévalo, Sandra Torres, Arévalo, ” Organizations: CNN —, Guatemalan Public Ministry, Movimiento Semilla, Semilla, CNN Locations: United States, ” Guatemala, Central America

Guatemala’s presidential election was thrown into turmoil Wednesday night after a top prosecutor moved to suspend the party of a surging anticorruption candidate, threatening his bid to take part in a runoff and potentially dealing a severe blow to the country’s already fraying democracy. The move could prevent Bernardo Arévalo, a lawmaker who jolted Guatemala’s political class in June with a surprise showing propelling him in the Aug. 20 runoff, from competing against Sandra Torres, a former first lady. Rafael Curruchiche, the prosecutor who mounted the case to suspend the party, has himself been listed among corrupt Central American officials by the United States for obstructing corruption inquiries. The development places even greater stress on Guatemala’s political system, after the barring of several top presidential candidates who were viewed as threatening to the political and economic establishment, assaults on press freedom and the forced exile of dozens of prosecutors and judges focused on curbing corruption.

Persons: Bernardo Arévalo, jolted, Sandra Torres, Rafael Curruchiche Organizations: Central Locations: United States

☆ Guatemala top court reverses ban on anti-graft presidential candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Constitutional Court said it had granted a provisional injunction filed by the Semilla party against a judge's order to suspend the party and seemingly kick Arevalo out of the race. Asked about the potential for U.S. sanctions on those behind the Semilla suspension, a U.S. State Department spokesperson cited sanctions already imposed on Curruchiche and Attorney General Maria Consuelo Porras but declined to say more. Arevalo told reporters earlier on Thursday he believed the lower court's move against Semilla violated a Guatemalan law preventing political party suspensions during an election. Arevalo's presidential rival Torres urged the popular vote be respected and said she was suspending her campaign in solidarity with Semilla voters. Aldana by then had a reputation as an anti-graft crusader and helped oust, prosecute and imprison conservative former President Otto Perez.

Persons: Cinthia Monterroso, Guatemala Attorney General's, Bernardo Arevalo's, Read, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Semilla, Rafael Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, General Maria Consuelo Porras, Juan Jose Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei, Giammattei, Torres, Thelma Aldana, Otto Perez, Sofia Menchu, Dave Graham, Valentine Hilaire, Matt Spetalnick, Kylie Madry, Cassandra Garrison, Sarah Morland, Stephen Eisenhammer, Josie Kao, Lincoln Organizations: Guatemala Attorney, GUATEMALA CITY, Constitutional, European Union, U.S, U.S . State, Semilla, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Guatemala, Guatemala City, GUATEMALA, June's, The U.S, U.S, Canada, Britain, Chile, Norway, Mexico, U.S ., Curruchiche, Mexico City, Washington

☆ Guatemala court suspends anti-graft presidential candidate's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 12 (Reuters) - A court in Guatemala suspended the party of anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, a prosecutor at the Attorney General's Office said on Wednesday, throwing into question his place in a second round run-off vote. "In no way will we obey a spurious and illegal decision like the one issued by that court." Shortly after, the electoral court confirmed the first-round results, which put Arevalo into a second round. "It's something that concerns us as a court, because we know that elections are won at the polls," Irma Palencia, head of the electoral court, said when asked about the suspension. This would certainly represent an astounding new low for Guatemala," said Donald J. Planty, a former U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, about the possible suspension.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Attorney General's, Arevalo, Rafael Curruchiche, Sandra Torres, Irma Palencia, Brian A, Nichols, Guatemalans, Juan Jose Arevalo, Carlos Pineda, Will Freeman, Semilla, Critics, Alejandro Giammattei, Donald J, Sofia Menchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire, Adriana Barrera, Cassandra Garrison, Brendan O'Boyle, Stephen Eisenhammer, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Attorney, CNN, Twitter, U.S, Western Hemisphere Affairs, Central American, Council, Foreign Relations, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Nicaragua, U.S

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