Guatemalans rally on behalf of president-elect, displaying a will to defend democracy
LA TimesProtests by thousands of Guatemalans this week supporting President-elect Bernardo Arévalo suggest that the efforts by some officials to derail his presidency have awakened a new will among many citizens to defend democracy. Even as recently as the weeks before this year’s election, only 48% of those surveyed said democracy was the best form of government, putting Guatemala last in the region, according to not-yet-published data shared by researchers at Vanderbilt University’s LAPOP Lab, which conducts the AmericasBarometer surveys. “I’m here in support of our new president’s democracy, so that he can do his job without corruption,” said Paz, who lives on the outskirts of Guatemala City. “I’ve come to the capital, I have arthritis, it’s painful to walk, but I’m here supporting him.” Rachel Schwartz, a professor at the University of Oklahoma who was a research affiliate and Guatemala expert on the AmericasBarometer survey, said that though the survey data were gathered before the election, what she’s seen since suggests that the tumultuous electoral process has struck a chord. On Monday, protesters shouted: “Resign, Consuelo!” Guatemalans’ trust in the attorney general’s office has declined steadily since reaching a high point in 2017 and this year registered 42%, according to the AmericasBarometer surveys.