The United States is gravely concerned with continued efforts to undermine Guatemala's peaceful transition of power to President-elect Arévalo. Most recently, the Guatemalan Public Ministry seized electoral materials under the custody of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). This act followed earlier attempts to strip immunity of the TSE electoral officials along with raiding their offices and storage facilities that house elections results. Such anti-democratic behavior undermines Guatemala's democratic institutions and is inconsistent with the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
The United States stands with those seeking to safeguard democracy and rule of law in Guatemala. We are actively taking steps to impose visa restrictions on individuals who continue to undermine Guatemala's democracy, including current and former members of Congress, judicial actors, and any others engaging in such behavior. These individuals will be ineligible for entry into the United States under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which restricts visas for individuals believed to be responsible for, complicit in, or undermining democracy. The United States also supports the ongoing work of the OAS Special Mission to assist with the presidential transition, as called for by the OAS Permanent Council. The Guatemalan people have spoken. Their voice must be respected.
