By Luis Guillermo Velásquez Pérez (Latinoamérica21)
HAVANA TIMES – Bernardo Arévalo and Karin Herrera took office on January 14 after surprisingly winning an election that had been altered in its origin. This happened when the Courts prevented the participation of three leading candidates after overcoming the long coup operation led against them by the outgoing government of Alejandro Giammattei and Consuelo Porras, the Attorney General. Giammattei and Porras, using the judicial institutions, tried for five months to prevent the legitimate winners from becoming president and vice-president of the country.
The alternation in power would not have been possible without the rebellion of the electorate, the determined and coordinated support of international organizations, as well as the resistance in defense of democracy led by the ancestral authorities and the indigenous peoples, which lasted for more than 100 days and extended to the popular neighborhoods on the outskirts of Guatemala City.
Thus, a government with strong international sympathy and broad popular support took office, which on April 23 completed 100 days of facing the resulting contradictions between managing institutions with authoritarian structures reluctant to its mandate and the clamor for strong measures from those who defended Guatemalan democracy. Taking this context into account, we will analyze 5 dimensions that allow us to understand these first 100 days of a government that faces the complex task of initiating the recovery of a country in ruins.
- International credibility
The recovery of Guatemala’s reputation in the world has been one of the most outstanding achievements of the government in these first 100 days. Although it has not been exempt from criticism for its close alignment with Western policy on controversial issues such as the relationship with Israel and Ukraine, this repositioning has allowed the government to be reliable in attracting foreign investment and to reach agreements that improve the country’s quality as a partner.
- Social trust
The government has conveyed consistency with the discourse of transparency and anti-corruption. It has quickly and convincingly self-policed itself in the face of allegations of ethical misconduct or potential acts of corruption. This has contributed to
