GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – The U.S State Department said on Tuesday it is imposing visa restrictions on over a dozen individuals and their immediate family members for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Guatemala, following a turbulent presidential election.
The list includes officials from the Guatemalan Attorney General’s office, as well as other “public and private sector actors,” without giving names, the State Department said.
The U.S. is among a number of countries that have blamed the current Guatemalan authorities for trying to block the accession of president-elect Bernardo Arevalo, a controversy that has sparked nationwide protests.
Protesters have called for the resignation of Guatemala’s attorney general, whose office alleged Arevalo’s Semilla Party faked signatures to register party members and has intensified investigations. Semilla has denied the accusations.
Arevalo, a center-left politician and son of a former president, in August won a landslide victory running on an anti-corruption platform. He is due to take office on Jan. 14.
“The United States rejects the continued efforts to undermine Guatemala’s peaceful transition of power to President-elect Arevalo,” the State Department said in a statement.
The Guatemalan Attorney General’s office said it did not have further details to share on the sanctions.
Earlier this month, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said Washington could launch targeted sanctions against anti-democratic actors in Guatemala, without giving further detail.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes and Isabel Woodford, Additional reporting by Sofia Menchu)
