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☆ 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

☆ OAS urges Guatemalan authorities to move forward with election process
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to preliminary results, anti-graft candidate Bernando Arevalo bucked forecasts to earn 11.8% of the vote, enough to secure a spot on the upcoming ballot. He trailed only behind former first lady Sandra Torres, with 15.8% of the vote. "The Mission verified that no serious irregularities were revealed and that no significant changes were registered with respect to the preliminary results of Sunday, June 25," the OAS said in a statement. However, on Friday night, the CSJ resolved to extend the suspension of the results for 10 more days. The electoral process in the Central American country has been strongly criticized by international and national organizations due to this unprecedented suspension of the official results.

Persons: Bernando Arevalo, Sandra Torres, CSJ, Torres, Arévalo, Sofia Menchu, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Franklin Paul Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, Guatemalan Constitutional, Central American, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemalan

☆ OAS to resend observer mission to Guatemala after court orders election review
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 3 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) said on Monday it will send its election observer mission back to Guatemala after the country's constitutional court called for a review of the election's first round. Some analysts expect Arevalo to win the run-off due to Torres' unpopularity in the voter-dense capital, Guatemala City. "Given the recent resolution of the Constitutional Court... the mission has decided to deploy again in Guatemala," OAS said in a statement. It added the observer mission will be present during the review process and "will continue to gather relevant information" ahead of the run-off. "The mission considers it of vital importance that the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box be respected," the OAS added.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Torres, Antony Blinken, Carolina Pulice, Sofia Menchu, Stephen Eisenhammer, David Gregorio Our Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, Constitutional, Sunday, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Guatemala City, United States

☆ US warns interference could undermine Guatemala election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. is deeply concerned about efforts to interfere with Guatemala's first-round presidential election result, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, a day after Guatemala's top court ordered ballots be reviewed. Sandra Torres, a former first lady who won the first round, has alleged votes were manipulated. Bernardo Arevalo, who bucked forecasts to become a close runner-up to Torres, described Torres' vote review request as lacking legal merit and endangering the electoral process. Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Sunday said it would abide by the court decision and instruct its local branches to review the ballots within five days. Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City and Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Guatemala's, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Sandra Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Torres, Daina Beth Solomon, Sofia Menchu, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Josie Kao Organizations: Organization of American, Foreign, European Union, Electoral, Sofia, Thomson Locations: U.S, Guatemala's, Mexico City, Guatemala City

☆ Guatemala court orders presidential ballot review, opposition cries foul
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Torres took 15.8% of the vote in the June 25 round, with Arevalo close behind with 11.8%. Some analysts expect Arevalo to win the runoff due to Torres' unpopularity in the voter-dense capital, Guatemala City. The court said it would then determine whether to take the rare step of mandating a recount. Arevalo said he would ask Guatemala's electoral court to annul the top court's decision, which he described as lacking legal merit and dangerous to the electoral process. In the days after the vote, Torres said she was concerned that votes had been manipulated with a faulty software system to favor Arevalo's party, Semilla.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Read, Bernardo Arevalo, Torres, Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei's Vamos, Sofia Menchu, Daina Beth Solomon, William Mallard Organizations: National Unity of, GUATEMALA CITY, Central American, National Unity of Hope, Guatemalan, of American, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA

☆ Analysis: Emergence of Guatemalan anti-graft champion shakes up election
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Presidential candidate for the Semilla party Bernardo Arevalo holds a rally at the Parque Central a day after the first round of Guatemala's presidential election, in Guatemala City, Guatemala June 26, 2023. Underlining voter frustration with the status-quo, nearly a quarter of ballots counted were either spoiled or left blank. Arevalo, who has called corruption a "cancer eating away" at Guatemala, will face former first lady Sandra Torres in the run-off. Torres, running in her third presidential contest, won 15.8% of the first-round vote to Arevalo's 11.8%. Aldana later sought asylum in the U.S., while current President Alejandro Giammattei himself became embroiled in corruption allegations, which he denies.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Juan Jose Arevalo, Arevalo, Thelma Aldana, Otto Perez, Semilla, Bernardo, Nicol Estrada, Carlos Pineda, Will Freeman, Hugo Novales, Sandra Torres, Torres, Freeman, Semilla's, Aldana, Alejandro Giammattei, Juan Jose, Giammattei, Ivan Velasquez, Julia Esquivel, Jimmy Morales, Sofia Menchu, Dave Graham, Stephen Eisenhammer, Rosalba O'Brien, Leslie Adler Organizations: Parque, REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Council, Foreign Relations, of, Guatemala's, U.S, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Parque Central, Guatemala City, Guatemala, Josue, GUATEMALA, Arevalo, U.S, Guatemalan

[1/10] People attend to cast their vote at a polling station during the first round of Guatemala's presidential election in Chinautla, Guatemala, June 25, 2023. She is up against more than 20 other candidates, including Edmond Mulet, a career diplomat, and Zury Rios, daughter of the late dictator Efrain Rios Montt. "All the young people right now will have a role in politics in Guatemala in 20 years time ... "(The next) four years won't allow time to undo how poorly managed the government has been for so many years," said Andres Nolasco, a 25-year-old accountant from Guatemala City. Reporting by Sofía Menchú in Guatemala City and Diego Oré in Mexico City; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Chizu Nomiyama and Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Edmond Mulet, Zury Rios, Efrain Rios Montt, Maximo Santacruz, Julio Valenzuela, Alejandro Giammattei, Carlos Pineda, Pineda, Carolina Jimenez, San Jose del Golfo, Irma Palencia, Andres Nolasco, Torres, Alvaro Colom, Sofía Menchú, Diego Oré, Isabel Woodford, Daniel Wallis, Chizu Nomiyama, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Young, European Union, Washington, Central American, Thomson Locations: Chinautla, Guatemala, Josue, GUATEMALA, United States, America, WOLA, San Jose, Guatemala City, Mexico City

☆ Guatemalan ex-first lady Torres polls first in crowded field ahead of Sunday vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, June 22 (Reuters) - Former Guatemalan first lady Sandra Torres leads her competitors in the Central American country's presidential race, according to a poll published Thursday by newspaper Prensa Libre, the last before Sunday's election. Diplomat Edmond Mulet trailed Torres with 13.4% support, followed by Zury Rios, the daughter of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt, at 9.1%. Torres, a well-known but polarizing figure, finished first in the first round of Guatemala's 2019 election, but lost to current President Alejandro Giammattei in a runoff. If no candidate earns 50% of the vote on Sunday, the top two will compete in a runoff on Aug. 20. Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Torres, Alvaro Colom, Edmond Mulet, Zury Rios, Efrain Rios Montt, Alejandro Giammattei, Giammattei, Carlos Pineda, Sofia Menchu, Brendan O'Boyle, Hugh Lawson Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Central American, Prensa Libre, Torres, Electoral, Washington Office, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemalan, America

☆ Guatemala court sentences journalist to 6 years in prison for money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUATEMALA CITY, June 14 (Reuters) - A Guatemalan court on Wednesday sentenced Jose Zamora, a well-known journalist whose work has criticized successive governments, to six years in prison for money laundering in a case rights groups have branded an attack on free speech. Zamora was also issued a 300,000 quetzal ($38,339) fine, the court said. He was arrested in July last year during a crackdown on prosecutors, judges, human rights activists, journalists and opposition officials. According to the attorney general's office, Zamora allegedly received $38,461 to finance his media outlet, which was not regularly deposited into the banking system. The rights group is "very concerned" that Guatemala's prosecutors' office is investigating journalists and columnists from elPeriodico who covered Zamora's case, Goebertus added.

Persons: Jose Zamora, Zamora, Alejandro Giammattei, Juanita Goebertus, Goebertus, Sofia Menchu, Sarah Morland, Brendan O'Boyle, Bill Berkrot Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, elPeriodico, Rights, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Zamora's, Guatemala, Americas

☆ Guatemala's presidential frontrunner thrown off ballot, promises appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He accused the court of kicking him off the ballot because he refused to be an "ally of corruption." In a recent poll, Pineda led all candidates with 23% support, emerging as the favorite to replace Giammattei. Critics accuse Giammattei of unprecedented repression of judges, prosecutors, journalists and activists, many of whom have fled the country. Pineda had been a CAMBIO party presidential candidate before switching to PC earlier this year, due to clashes with the Baldizon family. Other presidential hopefuls, leftist Thelma Cabrera and conservative Roberto Arzu, were previously forced out of the race.

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - A Miami-based digital marketing firm was behind a series of covert political influence operations in Latin America over the last year, Facebook-owner Meta (META.O) said this week, a rare exposé of an apparent U.S.-based misinformation-for-hire outfit. "It's a classic pattern that you tend to see with for-hire influence operations," said Ben Nimmo, Meta's Global Threat Intelligence Lead. Meta says it regularly takes down disinformation and misinformation operations in order to maintain the integrity of its platform. Twitter said in a September 2022 blog that it had shared datasets about influence operations with Cazadores. Former Twitter employees told Reuters in January that most of the staff involved in the TMRC had since left and Reuters could not determine if it was still operational.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington called self-ruled Taiwan "an inalienable part of China" and said the one-China principle was an "overwhelming trend" internationally. When Taiwan temporarily averted a split with Honduras after President Xiomara Castro took office in January 2022, U.S. State Department officials remained wary. The Biden administration is also keeping a close eye on tiny Belize for any cracks in its Taiwan relationship. Two U.S. officials said Washington was putting less stock in Taiwan maintaining its diplomatic allies in favor of efforts to increase its participation in international organizations. While denied a seat in the United Nations, Taiwan is a member of the WTO and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

☆ Taiwan strengthens ties with Guatemala following Honduras rupture
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen walks with her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei, during her visit at Chimaltenango hospital in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, in this photo released on April 2, 2023. Guatemala Presidency/Handout via REUTERSGUATEMALA CITY, April 2 (Reuters) - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen completed a three-day trip to Guatemala on Sunday where she offered more cooperation with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei's government, one of Taiwan's few allies in the world. Tsai's tour, which will take her to Belize on Sunday afternoon, comes a week after Honduras severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favor of Beijing. China refuses to allow other countries to maintain diplomatic relations with both at the same time. While visiting Guatemala, Tsai signed a $4 million agreement to modernize rural areas and promised to promote and increase cooperation between the two countries.

☆ Guatemalan ex-president Colom dies from cancer, says former minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Guatemala's former president Alvaro Colom died on Monday aged 71 from esophageal cancer, his former security minister Carlos Menocal told Reuters. The former president, who led the Central American country from 2008 to 2012, was very sick and released from the hospital a week and a half ago, Menocal told Reuters. Colom, a soft-spoken politician and textile businessman, beat former head of army intelligence Otto Perez Molina in 2007 to become Guatemala's first leftist president since the country's civil war ended in 1996. When he died, Colom was under preventative home arrest still awaiting a trial. Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Guatemala summons ambassador in Colombia for consultations in defense minister tussle
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Guatemala summoned its ambassador in Colombia for consultations, Guatemala's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, a day after Colombia did the same in regard to a conflict over Colombia's defense minister. Guatemala on Monday accused Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez, who led a United Nations anti-corruption unit in the Central American country, of committing illegal acts. Colombian President Gustavo Petro came out to defend the minister, saying he would not accept any "order for the arrest" of Velasquez. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei told Spanish news agency EFE on Tuesday that Velasquez was not facing "criminal prosecution." Arrest warrants were issued for several others as part of the investigation, including former Guatemalan Attorney General Thelma Aldana.

☆ Ancient Maya cities, 'super highways' revealed in latest survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is the latest discovery of roughly 3,000-year-old Maya centers and related infrastructure, according to a statement on Monday from a team from Guatemala's FARES anthropological research foundation overseeing the so-called LiDAR studies. All of the newly-identified structures were built centuries before the largest Maya city-states emerged, ushering in major human achievements in math and writing. LiDAR technology uses planes to shoot pulses of light into dense forest, allowing researchers to peel away vegetation and map ancient structures below. Among the details revealed in the latest analysis are the ancient world's first-ever extensive system of stone "highways or super-highways," according to the researchers. Reporting by Sofia Menchu and David Alire Garcia, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Guatemalan court approves sending detained renowned journalist to trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] Journalist Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin, founder and president of El Periodico newspaper, talks with the media after attending his court hearing in Guatemala City, in Guatemala, December 8, 2022. REUTERS/Josue DecaveleGUATEMALA CITY, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A Guatemalan court decided on Thursday to take to trial a case against a well-known Guatemalan journalist who was arrested four months ago on charges of money laundering, influence peddling and blackmail. Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin, an outspoken government critic, was detained in late July after a police raid on his home and will now remain in prison until the trial begins. Zamora, 65, is the founder of the elPeriodico newspaper, an outlet famous for investigations into government corruption. Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Guatemala court sentences ex-President Perez, ex-VP in graft case
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Former Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina leaves the courtroom after being found guilty of a corruption case during his administration, at the judicial building, in Guatemala City, Guatemala December 7, 2022. Perez, who was president of Guatemala from 2012 to 2015, has spent the last seven years in prison awaiting a verdict in the case. Baldetti was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison in 2018 in a separate fraud case. Perez was ordered to pay 8.7 million quetzales ($1.10 million) while Baldetti was fined 8.4 million quetzales ($1.06 million) on Wednesday. The case, known as "La Linea," was originally investigated under the now-defunct International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), backed by the United Nations.

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