Guatemala: Protests continue amid rising social tensions September 16

Event

Protests continued in Guatemala on Saturday, September 16, three days after parliament approved a controversial bill that provides politicians increased protection from corruption investigations. Guatemalan police intervened to disperse thousands of protestors blocking all exits to the Congress building in Guatemala City, where over 100 deputies were stuck for seven hours. The law was quickly suspended by the constitutional court and later rescinded by the legislature but sociopolitical tensions remain high.

Continued protests in the coming days and weeks cannot be ruled out, particularly in the capital Guatemala City. Typical protest sites in the capital include the area around the Presidential Palace, notably Plaza de la Constitución.

Context

Political corruption is a major issue in Guatemala. The latest wave of controversy intensified in mid-August when President Jimmy Morales - accused of illegally financing his 2015 presidential campaign and having ties with organized crime - ordered the deportation of the head of UN anti-corruption entity in Guatemala, the CICIG (Comisión Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala); this order was also subsequently overturned by the courts. Furthermore, on September 11 the Guatemalan Congress voted down a request by the attorney general to lift President Morales’s legal immunity, thereby shielding the president from investigations. Many legislators also face corruption accusations and benefit from immunity.

The CICIG enjoys wide support from the population. In 2015, the administration of then-President Otto Pérez Molina was shaken by a massive customs corruption conspiracy known as La Línea. Both Molina and his vice president were forced from office following an investigation by the CICIG and unprecedented mass anti-government protests that lasted for 20 weeks.

Advice

While most protests in Guatemala remain peaceful, individuals are nonetheless advised to avoid all demonstrations as a precaution and to keep abreast of the sociopolitical climate.