Cabinet Minister of Guatemala Steps Down Upon Criticism for Refusing Disciplinary Action Against Protesters
Former Interior Minister of Guatemala, Napoleón Barrientos was Forced to Step Down from his Post (Wikimedia Commons)
Protesters have taken to streets in response to investigations by the Guatemalan government on the legitimacy of Guatemala’s most recent presidential election. The protests by indigenous groups, originally peaceful, in Guatemala began on October 2. On October 16, clashes in the western town of Malacatan turned the demonstrations violent: one person died and four were injured in the fight initiated by an armed group working to dissolve the activists.
In August 2023, Bernardo Arévalo was elected president of Guatemala, a candidate adamant about tackling corruption in the Central American nation’s government.
“The people of Guatemala have spoken forcefully,” proclaimed Arévalo upon his victory. “Enough with so much corruption.”
The election defied polls, with Arévalo’s campaign proving a success after legal movements to disqualify his political party, the Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement).
Since the election, Guatemala’s attorney general has begun investigations into the legitimacy of the election as well as Arévalo’s Movement party as a whole. Citizens are concerned this investigation threatens the state’s democracy, ignoring the people’s vote in an effort to establish a new presidency aligning with the president-elect’s agenda.
Over the past three weeks, the protesters installed roadblocks, one of which was the site of further violence among the group. While those responsible were not immediately identified, two protesters were injured and one was killed in the confrontation.
Officials have criticized the current cabinet’s handling of the several demonstrations by the protesters. Attorney General Consuelo Porras called for the firing of Interior Minister Napoleón Barrientos upon his failure to request a court order to clear the protesters’ roadblocks.
Following the violence and the resulting criticism of failure to use force against the roadblockers, Barrientos resigned from his position as Interior Minister of Guatemala. In his resignation letter to sitting President Alejandro Giammattei, Barrientos wrote that he was “faced with the complexity of the current situation that the country finds itself in,” beyond his civic-minded and lawful handling of the protests.
The disagreement on the situation between the cabinet minister and attorney general signifies a divide within the sitting president’s cabinet, leading to the ultimate removal of the minister from the administration.
In the wake of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war, the country’s military has gained a better understanding of how its force will be perceived by the public. Retired colonel and military expert Mario Mérida notes that “in the past, the decisions and criteria used by the military were more authoritarian than rational.”
Given this experience, making these decisions as a public official has become more complicated. Mérida also weighed in on the possible reasoning behind Barrientos’ resignation, citing possible pressure into taking illegal actions or threats to fire him from his position.
The protesters have pledged to continue their efforts until Porras and her prosecutors resign.