Since I only have one more week in Guatemala I suppose now is the time to tackle a (very brief) overview of the political news in Guatemala. I don't have time nor do I know/understand the months & years of political scandals, corruptions and situations with the Guatemalan government. Everything below is what I have understood & learned through news articles and conversations but if you are interested in learning more, I suggest you google it. You will find a lot to read & discover.
Corruption
Corruption has always been a thing, people assume/know it happens but it usually doesn't get caught. This year in April CICIG released information that will (hopefully) start the process of cutting down on corruption.
CICIG or Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala) is an internal organization that was created in 2006 to investigate and prosecute serious crime. The goal is to strengthen the judicial system in Guatemala to fight organized crime in the future. This organization is supported by the united nations.
Otto Fernando Pérez Molina was the current president (2012-2015) of Guatemala until he resigned on September 3, 2015. He was the Director of Military Intelligence & reports were released in 2011 that stated he was involved in strategic planning of the mass killings of the Mayan people during the armed conflict in Guatemala.
Protests
In April CICIG released information that informed the public that a large sum of money was given to the vice president Roxanna Baldetti for some reason. In May she resigned from her position & in August she was arrested. Every week since April there have been protests & and groups of people gathering outside the government buildings in Guatemala City & occasionally in Quetzaltenango to make Otto Pérez renounce his position.
The first Friday, August 21, I was in Guatemala we were enjoying dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the central plaza in Quetzaltenango. There a group of people were celebrating the arrest of Baldetti & protesting for the renunciation of Otto Pérez also. This protest was mostly university students but the following week consisted of many different people; poor/rich, young/old & indigenous/non-indigenous. |
The next week, August 24-27, there was a protest everyday outside of the tax building & in front of the government building. Many schools, universities, businesses & events were cancelled or closed in support of the protests. Each day the amount of people & the noise level grew. By Thursday almost the whole town was shut down in support. McDonalds even closed to show support. All day there was music playing, singing, chantings, pep talks & posters being displayed.
Each day my Spanish teacher and I would walk to the protest. One thing I liked about the protests is how peaceful & happy they were. People were showing their Guatemalan pride & how much they loved Guatemala while trying to make a statement to their government. People sang, danced & gave "pep talk" to the large crowd of people. Thursday, September 27 was the largest day. The Central Plaza was filled with people & they would march up & down the streets of Quetzaltenango. The signs said things like #yonotengopresidente (I don't have a president) or #noqueremoseleciones (We don't want elections).
Just days before elections on September 1 congress voted to take away prosecutorial immunity from president Otto Fernando Pérez Molina. On September 3 he decided to resign from his position. People celebrated (once again) in the streets. So now, the vice president Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre, who replaced Baldetti, is the fill-in president until the new one starts in January.
A side note about Otto Pérez: He was the Director of Military Intelligence & reports were released in 2011 that stated he was involved in strategic planning of the mass killings of the Mayan people during the armed conflict in Guatemala. He worked under president Rios Montt who is known for planning & allowing the massacres of thousands of innocent Mayan people. Think about that- this president is responsible for killing thousands of his own people....its sickening.
A side note about Otto Pérez: He was the Director of Military Intelligence & reports were released in 2011 that stated he was involved in strategic planning of the mass killings of the Mayan people during the armed conflict in Guatemala. He worked under president Rios Montt who is known for planning & allowing the massacres of thousands of innocent Mayan people. Think about that- this president is responsible for killing thousands of his own people....its sickening.
Elections
Many people were protesting to not have elections or trying to convince people not to vote in the upcoming elections. They wanted the government to change their ways before they elect a new officials. Sunday, September 6 was election day. Election weekend is a big thing in Guatemala. Many roads are closed, along with businesses and events. People get up early to wait in line for hours to cast their votes. Each person gets 5 ballots of different colors. Each color represents a certain position in the government. (Wish I could tell you more about the elections but I don't remember at the moment..)
For a president to win elections they need get over 50% of the vote & the chances that one of the (I think) fourteen candidates will win is slim. So there is another election between the top few candidates on October 25. Right now the candidate with the highest votes is Jimmy Morales a Guatemalan, comic actor. I believe his party is supported by the army
There's a very brief description of a few of the current events in Guatemala. This week I am moving to a small village called Cajola where I will be continuing lessons with my Spanish teacher & experiences a rural homestay. Stay tuned :)
For a president to win elections they need get over 50% of the vote & the chances that one of the (I think) fourteen candidates will win is slim. So there is another election between the top few candidates on October 25. Right now the candidate with the highest votes is Jimmy Morales a Guatemalan, comic actor. I believe his party is supported by the army
There's a very brief description of a few of the current events in Guatemala. This week I am moving to a small village called Cajola where I will be continuing lessons with my Spanish teacher & experiences a rural homestay. Stay tuned :)