Guatemala Bans Presidential Candidates Ahead of Elections
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Loading... - Morken Brandt
- 13 Jun 2023
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Campaigning has commenced in anticipation of Guatemala's upcoming general elections on June 25. Over the past few months, thirty political parties, with a total of twenty-two thousand candidates, have been striving to gain the trust of voters. However, the national electoral body has taken a concerning step by arbitrarily disqualifying progressive candidates from the presidential and local level races.
Even before this undemocratic action, these elections were met with widespread voter apathy. Marielos Chang, an independent political analyst based in Guatemala City, states that "the general population is quite disillusioned with the electoral process." She explains that when pollsters inquire about voters' intentions and preferred candidates, the majority either do not know or decline to respond.
A CID-Gallup poll conducted between January and February 2023 revealed that 24 percent of participants either intended to vote for unlisted candidates, were undecided, or planned not to vote at all. Nevertheless, frontrunners in the polls include Zury Ríos, the daughter of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, who was convicted of genocide in 2013 (though the conviction was later annulled), and Sandra Torres, Guatemala's former first lady, who has been accused of participating in large-scale corruption.
In February, the Guatemalan Supreme Electoral Council rejected the registration of left-wing candidate Thelma Cabrera and her vice presidential candidate, former Human Rights Ombudsman Jordan Rodas. Supporters of Cabrera's party, the Movimiento de Liberación del Pueblo (MLP), have protested against the exclusion of their candidates, but received little response from the electoral body and the courts.
Right-wing presidential candidate Roberto Arzú, who, along with his running mate David Pineda, aimed to run on a populist platform, was also prevented from participating, possibly because Arzú had become increasingly critical of systemic issues within the country. Although Arzú challenged his exclusion, his name will not appear on the ballot.
Supporters of both Arzú and Cabrera argue that their exclusion is an attempt to pave the way for a candidate who aligns more closely with the political status quo. And they might not be far off. According to the CID-Gallup poll, Arzú and Cabrera were among the top five candidates. The Public Prosecutor's office has also requested the TSE (Tribunal Supremo Electoral) to disqualify Edmond Mulet, a right-wing candidate currently polling in third place, after he criticized the criminal investigation of journalists.
"There are still many candidates linked to drug trafficking, corruption cases, and recycled politicians who are creating numerous negative incentives for citizens," highlights one observer.
However, the exclusion of progressive candidates has had a particularly severe impact on mayoral and congressional candidates. Among them are Aldo Dávila, the first openly gay member of Congress, who was running with the opposition party VOS, and Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa, candidate for the position of Guatemala City mayor, who was running with a coalition of leftist and progressive parties. The electoral council revoked the candidacies of both Dávila and Foppa, citing ongoing criminal investigations against them. These investigations were initiated by far-right members of the current ruling party.
Meanwhile, right-wing candidates facing criminal investigations and corruption allegations have been allowed to participate in this year's elections.
"These decisions were politically motivated," explains Renzo Rosal, an independent Guatemalan political analyst. "The fact that some candidates are permitted to participate while others are not, and that there are still many candidates linked to drug trafficking, corruption cases, and recycled politicians, is generating significant discouragement among citizens."
Furthermore, some candidates have even attempted to run their family members for other political offices. For example, former president Jimmy Morales is running for Congress alongside his son, José Manuel Morales, while his brother, Sammy Morales, is running for the presidency.
"We see many parties promoting their relatives as candidates, which clearly indicates their desire for impunity," remarks Chang. "They are essentially nepotistic parties."
In these elections, several political parties are fielding entire families as candidates for various offices, including Congress, mayoral positions, and the Central American Parliament.
Both Jimmy and Sammy Morales have faced corruption allegations. In April, Sammy was compelled by election officials to change his sexist campaign slogan, "Two Women, One Way."
As the election progresses, the Supreme Electoral Council and the courts have demonstrated little interest in upholding the law. The courts have allowed the participation of Ríos, Torres, and their running mate, Romeo Estuardo Guerra Lemus, an evangelical pastor, despite constitutional bans prohibiting family members of former coup-installed rulers and active religious leaders from running for higher office.
The electoral council has also proven ineffective in holding political parties accountable for campaigning before the legally permitted period. Although fines were initially imposed on political parties such as Unión Republicano, Visón con Valores (VIVA), and Partido Humanista for premature campaign activities, the fines were later rescinded.
Many of these concerns arise from the fact that these elections are the first to be held after the closure of the United Nations-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). The CICIG officially shut down in September 2019, just weeks after the second round of voting in the previous year's elections.
The dissolution of the CICIG has created an environment where political actors are free to pursue corruption and impunity. The CICIG had hindered these efforts, but now these figures are once again able to consolidate their power and retaliate against those who sought to restore democratic norms.
"It's as if they're saying, 'We had this obstacle in our path, we got rid of it, and now we're moving forward with everything,'" comments Rosal. "The regime is making a comeback."
