Hooded Prosecutor Agents Raid the Electoral Court in Guatemala

On Thursday, using agents wearing masks, the Guatemalan Prosecutor's Office raided the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) to seize documents related to the presidential elections held on June 25.

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"The country is undergoing a clear coup d'état. Let's not use euphemisms," declared lawyer Alejandro Balsells, former president of the Center for the Defense of the Constitution.

In the morning, local outlet La Hora warned about this possibility when it published an editorial reminding that "the reaction of the population, the business community, and the international community has been clear and categorical in rejecting this new maneuver, which constitutes a blatant coup d'état."

Witnesses of the raid also reported that the agents confiscated documents without identifying themselves or making an inventory of what they were confiscating. Strangely, the agents from the Prosecutor's Office allowed the media to remain in the TSE headquarters for several hours.

Through social media, Juan Francisco Solorzano, former superintendent of tax administration, denounced that the agents conducting the raid are part of the state intelligence apparatus.

Meanwhile, the building of the Prosecutor's Office and the government headquarters of President Alejandro Giammattei were surrounded by fences and protected by police.

This raid is part of an investigation that the Prosecutor's Office is conducting against the social democratic party Seed. In the June elections, their presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo came in second place, which enables him to participate in the runoff on August 20.

Social organizations denounced that the suspension of the Seed party implies that its militants could not participate in political acts and their candidates could not take office.