In case you missed it—and there are compelling reasons why you may have—here’s what’s been going on in Guatemala following the August runoff victory of President-elect Bernardo Arévelo, progressive intellectual who ran on a platform of anti-corruption.
Maria Consuelo Porras, the country’s attorney general, claimed election irregularities and is attempting to overturn Arévelo’s victory. Many in Guatemala view Porras’s investigation as a “slow-motion coup,” and tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets calling for her resignation, grinding much of the country to a standstill as they block major thoroughfares and rural roads. As of now, Porras refuses to step down.
President-elect Arévelo’s inauguration is slated for January 14, 2024. But this being Guatemala, it’s hard to predict what will happen next.