The lack of government’s ability to establish an effective dialogue could detonate an even more agitated social conflict scenario. To the inheritance of resentments of the internal armed conflict is added a culture marked by violence as a way of conflict resolution. This combination could become dangerous if “opportunistic” sectors take advantage of protests to boost foreign demands, thus deepening the social crisis, analysts indicate.
Mobility was affected in the country this Monday, April 28 by blockages on different roads. The demonstrations are led by the Peasant Development Committee (CODECA), which rejects the capture of the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines and former president of the 48 cantons of Totonicapán, Luis Pacheco, and Héctor Chaclán, also indigenous leader, arrested last April 23 and linked to criminal process for terrorism and obstruction of criminal action.
Given the threats of blockages that were made days ago, representatives of the business sector filed amparos before the Constitutional Court to guarantee free locomotion.
On Sunday, April 27, the Constitutional Court (CC) granted a provisional protection to the Chamber of Commerce before the blockages and this Monday warned President Bernardo Arévalo to guarantee free mobility. Given this panorama, the authorities, especially the Ministry of the Interior, have the challenge of complying with the provisions of the highest justice agency.
Criteria difference
The political scientist and former coordinator of the Presidential Commission for Dialogue, Miguel Ángel Balcárcel, considers that the country already faces a serious climate of disagreement, because while some sectors defend the blockages as a legitimate form of pressure to enforce their demands, others consider that these actions only cause economic and social damage.
Balcárcel says that one of the concerns is that Guatemalan society is still under the effects of internal armed confrontation that lasted 36 years, and for that reason the problem becomes vulnerable to the guidance to solve disputes with expressions of violence.
“I am very concerned that, because many have no context of what happens, a confrontation is really generated. It would be very unfortunate for the whole society,” he said.
In that sense, the former official maintains that the captures were given because there is ignorance of indigenous law, their customs and the way in which the 48 cantons are organized internally, stating that those indicated only represent the demands of their communities.
“And then, by ignoring these mechanisms, the easiest is to individualize guilty, when they are resolutions, guidelines, collective mandates of the communities to their leaders or leaders who also occupy temporary positions,” he said.
Balcárcel says that the issue can be aggravated if the government does not intervene and serves the sectors that seek to be heard.
“The Government should receive the petition and dialogue with the leaders of Codec. That would come down a lot to the problem. I am sure that can negotiate it and can get back with the de facto measures,” he said.
Used movements
For Mario Mérida, former governance of the Interior, protests are expressions of solidarity with indigenous leaders. However, these movements can be used by other groups and organizations to demand other demands or with the intention of “shaking the environment more.”
“That is why Codca said he has his own agenda to try to protect. The other issue is how will the government enforce the constitutionality court to remove the blockages, because they are noticed that it should not happen?” He questioned.
He added: “The president must also comply when he met with Codca, and that arises from the hasty announcement that he will meet with the representatives of the 48 cantons. Now he compromises it, because there is independence of powers, there is autonomy of the MP. The President can only express himself in solidarity with the 48 cantons, because they secured the democratic process and the transition.”
Mérida recommends establishing a crisis commission to address this type of problem. He also stressed that the National Security Council is in force, headed by the president, which becomes a crisis committee when there are situations that only a ministry cannot resolve.
“There is resistance from the last governments to establish that committee to address and prevent such situations and prevent them from climbing at levels of ungovernability,” he said.
Pressures to the Government
- The indigenous authorities of the 48 cantons of Totonicapán and different social sectors have expressed their rejection of the base salary increase of Q46 thousand 700 that the deputies approved.
- The Ministry of Health maintains a technical dialogue table to discuss the salary increase to the health, this time with the National San Juan de Dios Union, which raises an increase of Q2 thousand more than the portfolio proposes.
- The magisterial leader Joviel Acevedo warned that the manifestations of the teaching will continue, if the dialogue does not continue to approve the collective pact of the teachers.
- On April 5, a 10% tariff entered into force for imports to the United States of Guatemalan products, as provided by President Donald Trump. In that sense, Guatemala government authorities said they have a road map to negotiate this tariff issue with the US.