Summer's Political Crisis in Guatemala

My first blog post for my internship this summer, regarding the political situation in Guatemala.

In recent weeks, Guatemala’s political institutions have been dealt a harsh blow by accusations pertaining to the murder of a prominent lawyer, Rodrigo Rosenburg. The controversy surrounds a posthumously released video recorded by Rosenburg, declaring that if he was murdered, President Alvaro Colom and his advisors were the ones responsible. In the video, Rosenburg expressed suspicion that he might be murdered for representing Khalil Musa, a prominent businessman who was murdered along with his daughter in March.

President Colom has vehemently denied the claims, but the damage done by the speculation is undeniable. More than 35,000 signatures have been collected by a group of lawyers demanding that Colom’s political immunity be revoked so that he can be tried for the murder, and thousands have taken to the streets in demonstrations on both sides of the controversy. Those protesting against Colom, predominantly from the middle and high socioeconomic classes, have demanded “justice,” an end to immunity, and for Colom to step down. Demonstrators in support of the president have come mainly from the rural areas, were largely transported by the official party (the National Union of Hope, UNE) and according to critics, may have been paid for their presence.

What is clear is that the allegations of murder have polarized and threatened to destabilize a fragile democracy, in a country that emerged from a 36-year-long civil war in 1996. The country has been deeply scarred by civil conflict between the indigenous Mayan populations, making up half of the population and many not speaking Spanish, and the Guatemalan government. As called for by President Colom, a UN-backed commission and the U.S. FBI will lead investigations in the case. José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, visited Guatemala this week and concluded in Washington on Wednesday, discussing his concerns over the potential threats to public security. At the same time, Insulza declared that “the citizens of Guatemala have demonstrated their ability to live together in democracy and to protect the strength of their political institutions.”

Hopefully, the presence of international investigators will support Guatemala in protecting its democratic institutions while also delivering justice to the perpetrators of the crime. The resolution to this crisis will have great effects on the potential for Guatemalan citizens to trust in an accountable, democratic system of governance.