A slate of far-right presidential candidates embroiled in corruption scandals are peddling talking points fresh from U.S. Republicans.
by Jeff Abbott, The Progressive
Guatemala’s 2023 election cycle has begun, as the country’s Supreme Electoral Council officially convoked elections on January 20 to fill the seat of current President, Alejandro Giammattei. The current elections come as Giammattei and his allies have overseen one of the most expansive, systematic assaults on Guatemala’s political system in nearly thirty years.
“The elections are taking place in a context marked by democratic regression, the advancement of different expressions of authoritarianism, the contraction of rights of any kind, and the dismantling of state institutions, including the electoral body,” Renzo Rosal, an independent political analyst, tells The Progressive.

“So these elections are taking place in a turbulent, chaotic environment,” he adds. “This does not motivate citizens to vote.”
Guatemala has seen the rollback of anti-corruption and anti-impunity efforts in the three years since the end of the United Nations backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, commonly known as CICIG, in September 2019. This rollback has led to attacks on the independence of the judicial branch and the concentration of power within the executive branch. It has also resulted in the prosecution of former investigators and prosecutors, and the exile of judges who were involved in cases of corruption.
Recent Posts
Stop Israel’s Dystopian “Humanitarian City” Plan—Before It’s Too Late
July 11, 2025
Take Action Now For the past 20 months, the world has watched—and largely enabled—a genocidal campaign in Gaza. Over 55,000 Palestinians have been…
The “Liberal” International Order Is Criminalizing Palestine Protests
July 11, 2025
Take Action Now As Western governments repress Palestine solidarity and enable Israel’s impunity, the “liberal international order” is no longer…
Politicians Are Betraying Gen Z On Climate
July 10, 2025
Take Action Now While Gen-Zers thrift, knit, crochet, and find other ways to reduce our footprints, Trump and the GOP are greenlighting more climate…
Trump’s Deportation Threat Against Zohran Mamdani Is Shameful
July 10, 2025
Take Action Now In only half a year of Donald Trump’s presidency, he and his allies have turned deportation into an explicitly political threat…