Semilla Continues Campaign Despite Political Persecution in Guatemala | News

The candidate for the presidency of Guatemala for the Movimiento Semilla party, Bernardo Arévalo, affirmed this Thursday that he is continuing the electoral campaign for the run-off on August 20 despite the political persecution to which that political party is subjected.

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Seed Movement denounces eventual raid against its headquarters in Guatemala

During a press conference, the Semilla leader stated that “the electoral campaign continues with the team we have had. We are not going to let ourselves be distracted, nor are we going to let ourselves be diverted. The campaign continues until the victory on August 20, ”he emphasized.

"The legal problem will continue its course and we will have a team of lawyers that will deal with it," he said, referring to the suspension of his party's legal personality, indicated by a local court based on a request from the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI).

He assured that this maneuver to remove Semilla from the electoral race "is unifying the different sectors in the need to reject this corrupt minority," he said in an expression to the local right.

Arévalo's statements came after the FECI raided the offices of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), the country's highest authority in electoral matters, which on Thursday made Semilla official as one of the winning parties of the first electoral round ( last June 25).

Hours ago, representatives of Semilla presented a preventive amparo before the Constitutional Court (CC) in order to prevent the TSE from complying with the court order.

Arévalo pointed out that the suspension of legal personality is completely unconstitutional and pointed out that article 92 of the Electoral and Political Parties Law prevents the suspension of a bench during the period of the opening of the elections and their conclusion.

The leader of the Seed Movement, who was accompanied by the proposal as vice president, the politician and professor Karin Herrera, read a statement announcing the start of the campaign for the runoff.

“This is a path that has an important milestone this August 20, but it does not end on that day. It is a path whose fundamental destiny is to accompany a process of change that is longed for by Guatemalans and Guatemalans,” he said.

Raid on the TSE

This Thursday, the FECI of the Public Ministry raided the Department of Political Organizations of the Citizens' Registry of the TSE and took all the files of the Seed Movement without leaving a copy to the Citizens' Registry.

The alternative media Soy 502 and Prensa Comunitaria called attention to the fact that several elements that participated in this procedure had their faces covered while they were guarded by a large police deployment, issues considered unusual in this type of operation in public offices.

The president of the TSE, Irma Palencia, considered this fact as an invasion. "I am worried about the bosses and workers because of this invasion. I don't know what to think anymore or what else is next. We are very worried. I don't know if it is a threat," she said.