President Bernardo Arévalo and leaders of the 48 Cantons of Totonicapán, in a press conference this Thursday, April 23, spoke one year after the criminal process against former leaders Luis Pacheco and Héctor Chaclán.
In his speech, Arévalo indicated that, for a year, Pacheco and Chaclán were accused of crimes that they did not commit.
“This false accusation was retaliation against them for having defended the right of all Guatemalans to freely elect our authorities, for defending democracy when it was attacked,” he stated.
He added: “Luis Pacheco and Héctor Chaclán were repressed and persecuted by illegitimate authorities of the justice system, by people whose regime of abuse and fear is about to end.”
He said that “the injustice” with which they have been treated and subjected to persecution “without the minimum guarantees of due process” has been denounced.
He stated that this case is not unique, as it joins a long list of harassment, harassment and criminalization against other indigenous authorities, “honest” judges and prosecutors, journalists, human rights defenders and, according to Arévalo, against people who make up the Government team.
He pointed out that there are cases of corruption in impunity, while criminalization from the institutions that should guarantee justice has caused pain to many families.
“We find ourselves at the gates of a change of time, of the moment in which the history of justice in Guatemala can change forever. We can leave behind a system that has bowed to protecting the privileges of a few,” he added.
“This change of time is the change of authorities in the Public Ministry. The constitutional responsibility of this change weighs on my shoulders as President of the Republic. This week I received the list of six candidates for the position of attorney general, whose files I review, aware that the process is in the challenges phase,” he added.
He indicated that “the time for change has come,” but that change is really possible because the people of Guatemala have faced the forces of impunity and corruption.
Leaders of the 48 Cantons of Totonicapán asked that their voice be heard and expressed their “deep” indignation and concern at marking one year since the deprivation of liberty of Luis Pacheco and Héctor Chaclán, who led demonstrations in 2023.
They added that the case file against them has been disguised as criminal prosecution for the alleged crimes of illicit association, terrorism and obstruction of criminal action.
They affirmed that the above is a deliberate strategy of criminalization against those who “dare” to defend the territory, autonomy and community life.
They pointed out that the prolonged preventive detention against both, without the intermediate stage being carried out, does not respond to a legitimate process, but rather to a political purpose: “to deactivate the indigenous voice.”
They indicated that the process not only falls on the two aforementioned people; It falls on a justice system, on the worldview and collective law.
They indicated that selective judicialization is accompanied by a reservation of the case, a chain of excuses and challenges promoted by the adhesive plaintiff.
They stressed that the process has been paralyzed and, according to the leaders, this is no coincidence, “it is part of a systematic pattern of obstruction of the truth.”
They indicated that they have requested a review of preventive detention and the intermediate stage, but have not received a response.
They stated that several judges have excused themselves from continuing to hear the case.
According to the leaders, Judge Fredy Orellana presented excuses under the argument that the file shows that his resignation is requested; The resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and Prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche is also requested.
“Defending democracy is not terrorism. What is judged in this process is the defense of democracy, legitimate social protest and the peaceful resistance of indigenous peoples,” they stated.
They added: “Criminalizing us for terrorism and illicit association is an outrage that we will not tolerate. We demand the immediate review of the preventive detention of Luis Pacheco and Héctor Chaclán and its replacement with alternative measures that respect their dignity and their rights.”
They asked Arévalo to elect a honest and objective attorney general.
The Public Ministry was consulted about the statements made during the conference and is awaiting a response.
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