2023 Guatemalan general election

In July 2021, Attorney General, María Consuelo Porras, dismissed the head of the special prosecutor's office against impunity, Juan Francisco Sandoval. Sandoval left the country shortly afterwards to 'protect [his] life and integrity'. The Attorney General subsequently increased investigations on judges, lawyers and prosecutors linked to the fight against corruption; several former investigators of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Impunity (FECI) and the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) were arrested in 2022 and others forced into exile or else continually harassed.[3][4] Among the exiled judges are Miguel Ángel Gálvez (known for handling the La Línea corruption case) and Erika Aifan (awarded with the International Women of Courage Award in 2021).[4] In September 2021, the United States Department of State announced that it had added Porras to a list of "undemocratic and corrupt" officials.[5] According to the US State Department, Porras "actively undermined" the corruption investigations conducted by Sandoval and his team.[5]

At the end of July 2022, the police arrested journalist José Rubén Zamora, founder of the daily El Periódico, and searched the newspaper's headquarters, which had accused President Alejandro Giammattei and Attorney General Consuelo Porras of corruption.[6] Some journalists also went into exile after the Public Ministry began investigations against them.[7] During the trial of José Rubén Zamora in 2023, a judge asked to initiate an investigation against nine journalists.[8] In November 2022, Amnesty International declared Virginia Laparra a "prisoner of conscience". Laparra was one of the jailed anti-corruption prosecutors who was part of Juan Francisco Sandoval's team.[9]

The United Nations and the European Union condemned the investigations of anti-corruption prosecutors in Guatemala and expressed that these procedures "weaken" the rule of law.[10] The International Federation for Human Rights, the World Organisation Against Torture and other NGOs warn in 2022 about the "strengthening of authoritarian rule" in Guatemala and declare that the country "experiencing an alarming phenomenon of capture and control of public institutions by economic and political elites".[11]

The registration of candidates for the elections has also been clouded by criticism for the "unclear" arguments used by the Registry of Citizens and the magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The ticket of Movement for the Liberation of Peoples was not registered due to "legal problems" of the vice-presidential candidate Jordán Rodas;[12] while Roberto Arzú's candidacy was revoked for allegedly carrying out "anticipated campaigning".[12] Presidential candidate Edmond Mulet was denounced by the Public Ministry for three consecutive days. The first complaint he received was for having spoken out against the investigation of the nine journalists during the Zamora trial, while the other two were for allegedly engaging in "anticipated campaigning" for which reason Mulet's participation is uncertain.[13][14] The Supreme Court of Justice rejected the challenge, however, on May 11, the Public Ministry challenged Mulet's candidacy before the Constitutional Court.[15]

On 21 March 2023, the Electoral Tribunal announced that it had rejected the candidacy of the center-right party Commitment, Renewal and Order due to "legal problems" of presidential candidate Francisco Arredondo.[16] The political party filed a legal appeal to reverse the decision of the electoral court, finally, the magistrates accepted the appeal and registered Arredondo as a presidential candidate.[17] The candidacies presented by the Opportunities and Development Party were annulled for not correctly carrying out their nomination assemblies.[18]

Cabal[19] and URNG–Winaq coalition[20] challenged the candidacy of Zury Ríos before the Registry of Citizens, stating that the Constitution prevented her from running for the presidency because she is the daughter of former president Efraín Ríos Montt who came to power through of a coup. Although the appeals were dismissed, Cabal also challenged before the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court but they were rejected and Ríos's candidacy remained firm.[19][21]

Todos challenged the candidacy of Sandra Torres before the Registry of Citizens, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court, affirming that Romeo Guerra, Torres's nominee for vice president, had a constitutional impediment, since the Constitution prevents ministers of worship to running for President and Vice President and Guerra was an evangelical pastor before becoming Torres's running mate. The process was rejected by the Electoral Registry and the Supreme Court of Justice, while the Constitutional Court has not yet issued a resolution on the matter.[22][23]

In May 2023, Change challenged the candidacy of Carlos Pineda before the Supreme Court of Justice. The legal resource affirms that there are "irregularities" in the nomination assemblies of Citizen Prosperity. If the resource is accepted, Pineda's candidacy would be annulled.[24]

The President of Guatemala is elected using the two-round system.[25]

• List of elections in 2023

• Tribunal Supremo Electoral