The US restricts visas to almost 300 Guatemalans for “antidemocratic actions”

USA adopted measures on Monday to impose visa restrictions on nearly 300 Guatemalan citizens, including 100 members of Congress, whom it accuses of undermining democracy and the rule of law in the Central American country.

Guatemala’s president-elect Bernardo Arévalo on Friday forcefully rejected a legal maneuver by local prosecutors to invalidate his electoral victory, calling the effort a “perverse” and of “coup”.

The US Government’s action is also aimed at representatives of the private sector and their families, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Washington strongly condemns the actions of the Guatemalan Public Ministry and others, including an advertisement against election workers and party representatives, their request to annul the election results and their request to lift Arévalo’s immunity, Miller added.

“These brazen measures follow a long list of other undemocratic actions”he claimed. “The Guatemalan people have spoken. Their voices must be respected.”

Since anti-corruption crusader Arévalo achieved much better-than-expected results in June’s first-round elections, passing the decisive August runoff, he and his center-left Movimiento Semilla party have faced investigations by the Attorney General’s Office, which has alleged irregularities in the party’s registration.

The North American country and other Westerners have backed Arévalo, who won a landslide victory in the second round against a pro-establishment candidate, stating that the investigations are a coordinated attempt to undermine him and democracy in Guatemala, the most populous country. of American Center.

“The United States will continue to take steps to impose such restrictions on any individual who undermines Guatemala’s democracy.”Miller added.