Central America: Faith leaders travel to Guatemala to support democratic elections

At the request of Catholic Cardinal Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri, ten faith leaders from the U.S., Mexico, and Central America are traveling to Guatemala during national elections scheduled for August 20. The Root Causes Initiative organized the delegation in response to illegal efforts by corrupt officials to overturn the first-round election results and prevent Bernardo Arévalo and his Semilla Party from participating in the run-off election. While the national electoral commission and international pressure have stymied efforts to disqualify Arévalo, civic and religious organizations in Guatemala are concerned the same corrupt officials who have persecuted anti-corruption journalists, prosecutors, and judges will interfere with the August 20 run-off election.

In July, seventy-five organizations and more than 1,100 people sent a letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris calling on them to impose targeted financial sanctions on corrupt officials and economic elites who have persecuted anti-corruption journalists, judges, and prosecutors.