Central America

Amparo of the Constitutional Court of Guatemala annuls the suspension of Semilla’s legal status

Photo: República.gt

July 15 |

The Constitutional Court of Guatemala informed Thursday that it granted a provisional protection to Movimiento Semilla, which was requested by the party after the Seventh Court of Criminal Instance ordered the suspension of its legal status.

In a statement published in social networks, the Court explained that the protection opens the way for “the second electoral round (presidential) to take place on the indicated date and with the participation of the officialized candidates”.

These are the illegalities committed in Guatemala, according to ex-Attorney General 3:29
Earlier, Bernardo Arévalo, presidential candidate of Semilla, said that the injunction had been filed “in defense of democracy, institutionality and constitutionality”.

Sandra Torres, presidential candidate in Guatemala, will suspend her campaign in solidarity with the Seed Movement: We don’t want to take advantage of it.
On the other hand, the director of the Registry of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, José Ramiro Muñoz, made known that they filed a constitutional action of amparo against the decision of the Seventh Court to suspend the legal status of Semilla, alleging that only the Tribunal can take this type of legal action.

20250301_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

“(It is the) only entity in constitutional material, as the law states, to be able, suspend or cancel any political organization. That is why we have filed this constitutional action of amparo”, he said this Thursday in a press conference.

On Wednesday night, the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity, Rafael Curruchiche, informed about this suspension against Semilla for the alleged falsification of citizens’ signatures for the party’s authorization process; the party rejected the accusation.

Sandoval lashes out against Porras and the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor’s Office 1:07
The decision unleashed several reactions, including the suspension of the electoral campaign of Sandra Torres, candidate of Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE), who would compete with Arévalo in the August 20 runoff.

“The Public Prosecutor’s Office is respectful of the resolutions of the Constitutional Court. However, as stated in the resolution, the same is “without prejudice to the powers of criminal prosecution that fall under the jurisdiction of the Public Ministry and regulated in Articles 251 of the Constitution of the Republic and 251 of the Electoral Law and Political Parties,” the Prosecutor’s Office told CNN about this decision of the Court.

20250301_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Related Topics:Central America Guatemala

Up Next

El Salvador’s former presidents on U.S. Corrupt List

Don't Miss

Honduras transfers 1,628 inmates to maximum security prisons

20250301_vacunacion_vph-300x250

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_300x250

20231124_etesal_300x250_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_300X250

MARN1

Central America

Panama grants Martinelli 72-hour extension to travel to Nicaragua

On Monday (March 31, 2025), Panama extended the safe-conduct pass for former President Ricardo Martinelli by three more days to allow him to travel to Nicaragua, after the Central American country refused to receive him due to concerns over an alleged Interpol arrest warrant.

“The National Government has decided to extend the validity of the safe-conduct pass for an additional seventy-two (72) hours, until the end of Thursday, April 3, 2025,” the Panamanian Foreign Ministry stated in a communiqué. The original permit was set to expire Monday at midnight (05:00 GMT on Tuesday).

The Foreign Ministry explained that regarding the ‘humanitarian asylum’ granted to Martinelli last Thursday, which was set to expire Monday at midnight, the Nicaraguan government requested clarifications about an apparent Interpol alert, which had already been dismissed as inadmissible.

Additionally, the Panamanian Supreme Court of Justice, as the highest authority of the Judicial Branch, stated on Monday that it had “no objections” to granting asylum and a safe-conduct to Martinelli, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Executive Branch.

Central America

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary urges Mexico to strengthen Guatemala border

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed on Monday that during last week’s meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, she urged Mexico to reinforce its border with Guatemala and share biometric datawith U.S. authorities.

“I gave her a list of things that President Trump would love to see. And it was exceptional. It was supposed to be a half-hour meeting, but we talked for nearly two hours. It was very productive,” Noem said in an interview with Fox News.

The Homeland Security Secretary requested that Sheinbaum, who has already deployed 10,000 National Guard troopsalong Mexico’s northern border with the U.S., also secure Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala.

Noem added that she also asked the Mexican president to share biometric data with the U.S., to which Sheinbaum responded that she was “willing to discuss it,” although she acknowledged that it could be a controversial issue in her country.

Central America

Panama police clarifies that Interpol alert for Martinelli is still pending

Panama’s National Police clarified on Sunday that an Interpol alert request for former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) is still under review and has yet to be confirmed. Martinelli was granted a safe-conduct pass last Thursday to leave the Nicaraguan embassy, where he has been seeking asylum since February 2024 after being convicted of corruption.

“The National Police clarifies that there is currently an active process for an Interpol alert, requested by Judge Baloisa Marquínez, against former President Ricardo Martinelli. This request must be analyzed by Interpol’s General Secretariat (headquartered in France) for approval or rejection. If approved, it will be notified to member countries,” the police stated in a press release sent to EFE.

According to the statement, “at the moment, it remains an ongoing procedure, and former President Martinelli does not have a confirmed alert.”

The announcement came hours after National Police Director Jaime Fernández had told the press that an “Interpol alert” for Martinelli had been received on Friday.