Guatemala City, Oct 7 (EFE). – Thousands of Guatemalans demanded the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras with massive blockades and demonstrations throughout Saturday for her attempts to interfere in the results of this year’s elections.
According to the Ministry of Communications, there are nearly 80 roads blocked by protesters, including five in Guatemala City.
Since Monday, massive protests have erupted in Guatemala against Porras Argueta, calling for her resignation.
“We are demanding the resignation of all the coup plotters,” one of the protesters, Byron Ramos, a student at a private university, told EFE.
“We are backing the indigenous authorities, who have been the spearhead of this movement. They have been an example,” he added as he marched along his companions to the headquarters of the Public Ministry in Guatemala City.
The attorney general is accused by protesters of trying to change the results of the June and August elections, which resulted in the surprise victory of progressive candidate Bernardo Arévalo de León.
The demonstrations were called on Monday by the indigenous organization “48 Cantones” of the department of Totonicapán (West). Since then, trade unions, universities, doctors, students and merchants have also joined.
The members of the “48 Cantons” have divided their efforts with protests in front of the Public Ministry in Guatemala City and also in their department, where they have blocked access to the main roads.
The indigenous organization has indicated that they will not move until Porras Argueta presents her resignation.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General, through the Communications Department of the Public Ministry, has reported that she has no plans to resign.
On Friday, the union that unites the country’s public markets warned that it would close all of its outlets if Porras Argueta did not resign by October 9.
Arévalo de León accused Porras Argueta on September 1 of staging a coup against him to prevent his inauguration in January 2024.
The request for the attorney general’s resignation comes after her office intervened in the local electoral process in by confiscating voting records a week ago and raiding the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the Seed Movement, Arévalo’s party, on several occasions.
Porras Argueta and the leadership of the Public Ministry have been sanctioned by the United States accused of “undermining” justice in Guatemala. EFE
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