Guatemala: Congress Not to Recognize Seed Party's Legal Status

On Wednesday, the Guatemalan Congress disavowed the Movimiento Semilla caucus and declared the members of this leftist political force as independent legislators.

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The decision was made by the Board of Directors of Congress, which is chaired by Shirley Rivera of the ruling Vamos party, surprised legislators who were returning to regular meetings after a two-month recess.

As a result of what happened, the SEED lawmakers will not be able to preside over legislative commissions, participate in the preparation of the parliamentary agenda, or have advisors.

To justify its decision, the Board of Directors argued that Judge Fredy Orellana removed the legal status of that leftist party on July 12. to remove the legal personality of this political force. This judge, however, has been accused of corruption and obstruction of justice.

The text reads, "The legislator said that the Seed caucus will raise an amparo against the resolution of the Board of Directors, which unrecognized this legislative block on Wednesday through an anomalous procedure."

Through a press conference, Andrea Reyes, an elected legislator from Semilla, denounced that the resolution of the Board of Directors of Congress is anomalous and is due to pressure that the Prosecutor's Office and Judge Orellana exert against the Guatemalan electoral authorities.

All this comes after the SEED candidate Bernardo Arevalo defeated Sandra Torres, the right-wing politician supported by the Guatemalan military and establishment, in the second round of the presidential elections.

"The actions of the Board of Directors are desperate measures emanating from a decadent regime and will not stop the change that the people of Guatemala demanded on Aug. 20. No illegal act will prevent the construction of a better country, which is our project and everyone's project," the Seed party posted on social networks.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Arevalo on his election as president but also said that Washington remains concerned by the actions of those who seek to undermine Guatemalan democracy.

Something similar was said by the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, who posted on the social network X his concern about "attempts to undermine the results" and to ignore Arevalo's victory.