Guatemala: Anti-corruption marches in Guatemala City April 24

Event

The CODECA and CNOC organizations, which represent campesinos (peasant farmers), along with several other groups, have called for a large-scale anti-corruption demonstration to take place in the capital Guatemala City on Tuesday, April 24. Demonstrators are expected to gather beginning at 06:00 (local time) at four different points of the city - El Trébol, Plaza Obelisco, Periférico Norte, and Ruta al Atlántico - before converging at Plaza de la Constitución. Major traffic congestion is expected, with police warning commuters to use alternate routes. Violent confrontations between protesters and security forces cannot be ruled out.

Context

The protest is being held to demand the resignation of President Jimmy Morales, his cabinet, and all 158 members of Congress, all of whom are accused of corruption. The march comes a few days after a group of elite businessmen released a statement admitting to using illegal means to finance Morales’s 2015 presidential campaign. 

Advice

Individuals in Guatemala are advised to avoid all protests as a precaution, allow for extra time to reach their destinations, and keep abreast of the sociopolitical context.