Guatemala's President-Elect Bernardo Arevalo Demands AG's Resignation Amid Ongoing Protests

Guatemala's President-elect Bernardo Arevalo on Wednesday called for the resignation of Attorney General Maria Consuelo Porras, who has been accused by Arevalo's supporters of obstructing the transition process.

Attorney General Porras has been investigating Arevalo's party, Movimiento Semilla, for registration issues, which led to thousands of Guatemalan citizens taking to streets to protest.

Arevalo accused President Alejandro Giammattei of remaining silent amid the ongoing issues and wrote a letter asking him to request Porras to step down. "During this entire process you, Dr Giammattei, have been silent," Arevalo wrote in the letter, as per Reuters. "The people have interpreted your silence as consent to the undermining of our democratic institutions. Your silence is an insult to the Guatemalan people."

He also urged the Attorney General to step down from her position. However, a spokesperson for the prosecutors' office said that the "attorney general will not resign her post," adding that "her actions have always been in strict compliance with the law."

"The prosecutors' office remains firm in its investigations with only one goal: to discover the truth," the spokesperson added.

Arevalo wrote the letter one day after the Organization of American States (OAS)'s head Luis Almagro slammed Guatemalan prosecutors for blocking the president-elect from taking over the authority and called it a "shameful example for the hemisphere."

Arevalo, who won the elections in August with an overwhelming margin through his party, has been facing several troubles allegedly caused by the attorney general.

Porras ordered a raid on the electoral authority's offices and the seizure of ballots. She also allegedly disqualified Arevalo's party due to registration issues. This move prompted a large number of protestors to take to the streets of Guatemala, demanding Porras' resignation.

The attorney general was nominated by the outgoing president during his term, and he has remained silent on the investigations and raids.

In response to the ongoing protests in the country, Porras issued a video message on Oct. 9, asking the government to intervene and stop the protest as it is "illegal" to block the roads.

"I want to express my complete disagreement and distaste," Porras said in the video, adding that the protestors "clearly violate the rights of all Guatemalans."

Arevalo is slated to take over the office in January 2024. During his campaign, he pledged to combat corruption in the country.