The elite counterattack, the president’s “Semilla” party forms a coalition in Congress, and the US levels sanctions against ex-President Alejandro Giammattei
By Gustavo Berganza (Confidencial)
HAVANA TIMES – On Monday January 15, Bernardo Arevalo, Guatemala’s new president, received the Guatemalan Army’s Vow of Submission to the civil powers. Through this ceremony, an institution that has promoted coup d’etats throughout the country’s history committed itself to serving as a bastion of stability for the regime and the defense of the democratic system.
This year, the ceremony was held publicly in Guatemala City’s Plaza of the Constitution instead of in a military base as during the three preceding regimes. Witnessing it, many of us Guatemalans thought that the attacks against the electoral results and the president’s Semilla Party had perhaps ended.
Unfortunately, shortly afterwards we were reminded that the outgoing regime and its allies still control key government institutions that can limit the scope of the new government’s actions. This was brought home by a Constitutional Court order for provisional protection, awarded to a group of political figures who lost the elections for the Congressional Governing Board, and for entities that have questioned the results of the presidential elections.
One of those petitioning the Court for protection was Sandra Jovel, a deputy for the Valor Party who aspires to preside over Congress. Jovel was Minister of Foreign Relations during the Government of Jimmy Morales [2016 – 2020] and an important figure in the campaign to expel the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) from the country.
Jovel’s bid for Speaker was backed by ex-President Alejandro Giammattei’s Vamos Party and the UNE
