Guatemala’s President Accuses Attorney General and Judge of Leading ‘Coup’ Attempt

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo accused the country’s attorney general and a top judge of orchestrating an attempted “coup” to overturn the results of the 2023 elections, while leading a “criminal alliance” seeking to dismantle the country’s democratic order, MercoPress reported.

In a Sunday address, Arévalo said the Attorney General Consuelo Porras and Judge Fredy Orellana were trying to “plunge Guatemala into authoritarianism, corruption, and impunity” by annulling his Movimiento Semilla party and removing elected officials.

He alleged that Orellana, acting on behalf of Porras, was attempting to void the registration of Semilla and trigger the “unconstitutional removal” of the president, vice president, 23 deputies, and a number of mayors.

The president’s remarks came after Orellana ruled Friday to suspend all actions related to Semilla, citing alleged irregularities in its registration as a political organization.

The decision was sent to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and Congress, instructing lawmakers to take “the measures required by law,” United Press International noted.

Arévalo called the ruling a “judicial coup” designed to erase the will of voters and “bury the possibility of free, transparent and fair elections in 2027.”

Arévalo has long accused Porras and Orellana of using the judicial system to persecute journalists, activists, and indigenous leaders, while attempting to protect political allies involved in corruption, drug trafficking, and organized crime in the Central American country.

The president said he has requested an emergency meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) to brief it on the “serious threats” to Guatemala’s Constitution and democracy.

The OAS later called for “respect for the will of the Guatemalan people,” who elected Arévalo in an election deemed free and fair.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Office rejected Arévalo’s accusations as “false,” saying that “no political pressure will stop the ongoing investigations.”

Even so, Porras remains a controversial figure in Guatemala since she took office in 2018: She has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for undermining democracy and anti-graft probes.

Porras cannot be removed by the president before her term ends in 2026.

However, Arévalo has since introduced legislation to reform Guatemala’s judicial selection system and strengthen the independence of its governmental institutions.

Still, analysts say the moves by the attorney general and the judge are in line with what has faced the current administration since Arévalo won office in a shock victory against an establishment candidate more than two years ago: The powerful political, military, criminal, and business groups that previously controlled the country have done everything they can to thwart his presidency, including attempting to keep him out of office.