The Electoral Observation Mission of the European Union (EU) warned that None of its 26 recommendations after the 2023 elections in Guatemala, it has been implemented.
Although partial advances are recognized in three of them, the general panorama is worrying and The country faces technical, political and judicial blockagesespecially within the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE).
According to the preliminary report presented this May 30, judicial cases promoted against TSEmostly promoted by the Public Ministry (MP), They have seriously affected the functionality of the electoral body and the planning of the 2027 electionsas well as the implementation of European recommendations.
“The proliferation of cases against the Supreme Electoral Court promoted by the Justice Operators, mainly the Public Ministry, has seriously affected the functionality of the electoral body and, consequently, the planning of the 2027 elections and the implementation of the recommendations,” said the head of the EU mission, Jordi Cañas.
To this is added an environment marked by the criminalization of various democratic actors.
“The Public Ministry continues its intermediation strategy that aims to intimidate the actors and political, legal, members of civil society, electoral observers, responsible for the ancestral peoples, journalists and, ultimately, anyone who is a defender of the democratic framework in Guatemala,” he added.
Besides, Internal conflicts between titular and alternate magistrates of the TSE have also limited their operational operation.
“The internal conflicts between the presidency of the TSE and the alternate magistrates have limited the normal functioning of the Plenary and, therefore, the issuance of operational instructions to advance their functions and recommendations,” said Cañas.
Recommendations at risk
The mission report includes key recommendations such as:
- Strengthen the electoral legal framework.
- Reinforce the independence and capacity of the TSE.
- Improve transparency in political financing.
- Guarantee the participation of indigenous peoples.
- Prevent electoral violence.
The most important recommendationaccording to the mission, is number 2, which refers to the need to reinforce the Rule of law and the separation of powers by promoting the culture of legality in the Judiciary.
Cañas stressed that Without advances in that area, even if the other 25 recommendations were met, the context would continue to be highly risky for Guatemalan democracy.
The presentation was part of the Preliminary monitoring reportthat will be made public definitively in approximately two weeks. The EU held meetings with multiple political, social, academic and diplomatic sectors of the country to elaborate this analysis.
Also read: General Elections 2027: TSE will create its own computer system of preliminary results