GUATEMALA CITY 鈥� One of the leaders of the against efforts to undermine Guatemala鈥檚 elections that have paralyzed much of the country鈥檚 commerce for nearly two weeks is a young one-time law student who now heads up one of the country鈥檚 most important Indigenous organizations.
While Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei tries to draw President-elect Bernardo Ar茅valo into a dialogue aimed at ending the protests, Luis Pacheco says that it isn鈥檛 Ar茅valo鈥檚 call to make and that Giammattei could end them by meeting their demands.
Guatemala has been roiled throughout much of this year鈥檚 election cycle and even in August did not calm it. The academic and former diplomat ran on a platform of battling corruption that observers say has unnerved Guatemala鈥檚 entrenched power structure.
This month's protests have been the largest public display rejecting the administration's questioning of the election. Protesters have peacefully blocked key roadways at more than 100 points across the country. Giammattei this week
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The protesters have made Attorney General Consuelo Porras the target of their ire. Since Ar茅valo was the surprise second-place finisher in an initial round of voting in June, her office has pursued investigations related to how Ar茅valo's Seed Movement party collected signatures required to register years earlier and multiple investigations related to the election itself.
For Pacheco and the 48 Indigenous communities he represents northwest of Guatemala鈥檚 capital, the solution is simple: Porras, one of her prosecutors and a judge who suspended Ar茅valo鈥檚 party have to go.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not asking for something that can鈥檛 be done, we are not asking for constitutional reforms, which would be more complicated,鈥� Pacheco said late Tuesday. He stood a block from one of the roadblocks in Guatemala City, holding the wooden staff that signals his position and his customary wide-brimmed hat and shoulder bag. His manner of speaking was measured and calm.
Pacheco said the galvanizing moment for the K鈥檌che鈥� people he represents was a raid on electoral offices broadcast live in which federal agents opened and took away 鈥� despite resistance from some electoral officials 鈥� boxes containing precinct vote tally sheets. 鈥淭he people already voted and you have to respect the decision taken,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e know that they don鈥檛 want to lose the power they have,鈥� Pacheco said.
The protests have been largely peaceful. Demonstrators allow ambulances to pass, as well as trucks carrying basic food stuffs and gasoline. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to kill ourselves as people,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat we want to show is that we want to defend and take back democracy.鈥�
Pacheco cited Atanasio Tzul, an Indigenous leader who led an uprising in 1820 demanding rights, as an influence.
脕lvaro Pop, former chairman of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, said that what is happening now in Guatemala is the end of a cycle in which the government has tried to eliminate or transform the protest.
, eventually forcing then-President Otto P茅rez Molina to resign over corruption allegations. In 2020, Giammattei violently put down protests against his administration.
Guatemalans are much more conscious than in previous years of the pervasive corruption in their government, Pop said, in large part because of the years of work by a U.N.-backed anticorruption mission.
鈥淭he Indigenous peoples (call for the protests) because they are the ones with the moral standing to do so and that is why there is a response and support, but there is the risk that the protests are undermined by racism,鈥� Pop said.
Pacheco, mayor of the town of Juchanep, will only hold the rotating post of president of the 48 cantons for a year, but is aware that his role in the protests could lead to persecution.
Recently, a far-right activist closely aligned with Porras filed a complaint against Pacheco alleging damage committed by protesters. Often this is a prelude to criminal charges.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not here on behalf of a political party, we鈥檙e not defending Ar茅valo so he can assume the presidency, no one else decided this,鈥� Pacheco said. 鈥淣ot even if Ar茅valo told us to stop the protests, we鈥檙e not going to do it. The negotiation is between the Indigenous peoples and the government.鈥�
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