Press Releases

Today, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and President Emeritus of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, along with Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), led 17 Members of Congress in writing to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to express concern following unprecedented actions taken by the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor’s office and others to deny the will of the Guatemalan people and prevent President-elect Arévalo from taking office on January 14th after winning a free and fair election. The letter lauds the Biden Administration’s steadfast, high-level engagement and commitment to supporting democratic institutions in Guatemala.

“Since elections on August 20, 2023, actions taken by Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor’s office, the Guatemalan Supreme Court, and members of Guatemala’s Congress have undermined the rule of law to overturn a free and fair election,” wrote the Members in their letter. “The latest attempt to nullify the election results on Friday December 8th from the Public Prosecutor’s office and prosecutor Leonor Morales falls nothing short of an attempted coup d’état.”

“The United States must stand with the people of Guatemala. Attempts to subvert the will of the Guatemalan people and lift the immunity of several members of the “Movimiento Semilla” party, including the President and Vice President-elect, must end,” the Members continued. “Attacks from the Public Prosecutor’s office on the electoral system, including raids on the headquarters of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and attacks against the magistrates, must end.”

In addition to Connolly, Castro, and Ramirez, the letter was signed by the following Members of Congress: Barbara Lee, Dina Titus, Pramila Jayapal, Veronica Escobar, Jan Schakowsky, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chuy Garcia, David Trone, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jamie Raskin, Brad Sherman, Jim McGovern, Susan Wild, Don Beyer, Stephen Lynch, and Adriano Espaillat.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Blinken,

We write as strong supporters of the Guatemala-United States partnership to express our deep concern for attacks on Guatemala’s democratic process to prevent President-elect Bernardo Arévalo from taking power on January 14, 2024.

Since elections on August 20, 2023, actions taken by Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor’s office, the Guatemalan Supreme Court, and members of Guatemala’s Congress have undermined the rule of law to overturn a free and fair election. The latest attempt to nullify the election results on Friday December 8th from the Public Prosecutor’s office and prosecutor Leonor Morales falls nothing short of an attempted coup d’état.

We appreciate the administration’s steadfast, high-level support and commitment to democratic institutions in Guatemala. Attacks on the rule of law and judicial independence in Guatemala are not a new phenomenon, but these unprecedented actions to deny the will of the Guatemalan people and prevent President-elect Arévalo from taking office on January 14th demand an unprecedented response.

The United States must stand with the people of Guatemala. Attempts to subvert the will of the Guatemalan people and lift the immunity of several members of the “Movimiento Semilla” party, including the President and Vice President-elect, must end. Attacks from the Public Prosecutor’s office on the electoral system, including raids on the headquarters of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and attacks against the magistrates, must end.

Statements from the Public Prosecutor’s office deeming the election “null and void,” contradicting Supreme Electoral Tribunal officials, are indicative of an attempted coup underway, perpetrated by those who would rather not see President-elect Arévalo take power in January. We urge you to work with partners and allies to take comprehensive action and hold all actors who have attempted to overturn a free and fair election in Guatemala, including members of the private sector, accountable.

In 1954, the United States inflicted significant and lasting damage to Guatemala’s democracy when it supported and orchestrated the ouster of democratically elected President Jacobo Arbenz in support of a military dictatorship. Seventy years later, U.S. support for Guatemala’s democratic institutions must remain paramount. This time around, recognizing our own role in Guatemala’s democratic fate, we stand on the right side of history. But in doing so, the United States must work closely with allies and partners to make clear to anti-democratic forces in Guatemala that should President-elect Arévalo be prevented from assuming the presidency on January 14, 2024, there will be significant consequences.

Sincerely,