The United States welcomes the certification of the first round of election results by the Guatemalan Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which upholds the credibility and integrity of the most-observed electoral process in Guatemala’s history. The certified official results validate the will of the Guatemalan people as expressed in first round elections on June 25. This should set the stage for a free and fair runoff election on August 20 between the two presidential candidates who received the most votes in the first round, Sandra Torres from the UNE party and Bernardo Arévalo from the Semilla party.
At the same time, the United States is deeply concerned by the Public Ministry’s attempt to revoke the legal status of the Semilla party amidst the election process. We note the broad range of voices from Guatemalan society who have expressed concern that the Public Ministry’s actions violate Guatemala’s electoral law and basic constitutional protections. These actions put at risk the legitimacy of the electoral process at the core of Guatemala’s democracy, which should be advanced and upheld consistent with Guatemala’s constitution and the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The will of the Guatemalan people, as expressed through the June 25 elections results, must be respected.