The election of two commissioners for the candidate for Comptroller General of Accountsof the College of Economists, Public Accountants and Auditors and Business Administrators (CCEE), was marked by propaganda outside the main voting center, which conflicts with a ban on the event.
At least four of the five candidates competing for the two positions for the future candidate delivered gifts and food outside the Professional Colleges building, in zone 15 of the capital.
This propaganda was documented by the media and the oversight organization Guatemala Visible, which monitors all second-degree election processes.
The CCEE was called for elections after the plenary session of Congress summoned the candidate who will have the task of selecting the best professionals to direct the Comptroller General of Accounts (CGC) and make a list of six candidates.
This commission will be chaired by Father Miquel Cortés, rector of Rafael Landívar University, who was elected unanimously by the Rectors’ Forum, bringing together 13 of 17 universities.
13 deans of the faculties of economic sciences also participate, including the two most recently created universities, the Juan José Arévalo Bermejo University and the American University.
The graduates grouped in two professional associations have 13 positions for commissioners, assigning two positions to the CCEE because it has the least enrollment; while the College of Public Accountants and Auditors of Guatemala (CPA) has 11 positions, which will be voted on August 6.
Recurring practice
For Mynor Lorenzo, an analyst at Guatemala Visible, it is common for the delivery of gifts to accompany union elections, with the desire to influence the voting intention of professionals at the last minute.
“The call itself warns of prohibitions on propaganda in the voting centers,” explained Lorenzo, while it has been documented that forms 1, 2, 4 and 5 have resorted to these practices.
“Propaganda is part of the campaign strategies, but it is true that you have to be careful about distributing food or alcoholic beverages, which is something we have seen in other elections, not exactly in this one,” he indicated.
For the analyst, this practice that has become common in union elections should invite the different professional associations to verify their internal regulations.
“There is no need to give gifts that compromise the vote of any member, but once again the call to the colleges is to review their election regulations to strengthen controls in all processes,” he indicated.
CCEE stands out
When the CCEE Electoral Tribunal was consulted about propaganda, which was prohibited in the call for elections, college authorities explained that there is no violation of the norm, because it is not taking place inside the voting center.
“Our regulations prohibit advertising inside the voting precinct, and outside, on the street, yes they can. The prohibition is only within the precinct where the voting center is,” said Elmer Ruano, president of the CCEE Electoral Tribunal.
He added that these types of actions must be clarified by each union organization, highlighting the CCEE. “Our events have been as transparent and clean as possible, outside we do not have control, here inside they are given a refresher, but outside each organization must be responsible for their activities.”
The college explained that once the election is concluded they hope to make the results public, issue the minutes and notify Congress as soon as possible, which would only be pending future CPA elections to convene and swear in those elected.
🇬🇹𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗖𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
Forms place propaganda at the entrance to the Professional Colleges Building, zone 15. They invite people to vote for their candidates.#EleccionComptroller2026#TheComptrollerMatters pic.twitter.com/I3d5cTLMD5
— Guatemala Visible (@guatevisible) July 17, 2026