US urges Guatemala to ensure no interference in election after raid

Reuters
Updated ·1 min read
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'March of the Flowers' against the political persecution of Semilla party, in Guatemala City

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -Senior U.S. Department of State official Brian Nichols said on Monday he had spoken with Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Bucaro to stress the need to hold a free and fair run-off in the Central American country's presidential election next month.

Nichols said on Twitter he had highlighted the need to "proceed without interference or harassment of candidates and parties," following attempts to suspend the party of anti-graft candidate Bernardo Arevalo.

Bucaro said later on Monday the two had discussed "the positive role that the Guatemalan executive branch has played" in the lead-up to the second round of elections.

The U.S. had criticized a police raid on the offices of Arevalo's center-left Semilla party on Friday. The prosecutor leading the investigation into Semilla, Rafael Curruchiche, is on the U.S. State Department's Engel List for "corrupt and undemocratic actors."

A senior Biden administration official last week described the raid as representing "authoritarian practices" and a violation of democratic norms by Guatemala's public ministry.

The official added the U.S. was closely monitoring the lead-up to the run-off and would host Arevalo and his opponent, former first lady Sandra Torres, for talks in Washington this week to show support for free and fair elections.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City, Mexico newsroom and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Chris Reese)