Guatemalan President-Elect Faces Prosecution Threat

Prosecutor's move to strip immunity could disrupt January inauguration, as U.S. warns of consequences for undermining democracy.

Guatemalan prosecutor Angel Sanchez has moved to strip President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and his running mate of their immunity, accusing them of complicity in the takeover of the capital's San Carlos University last year.
Sanchez's actions could lead to arrest warrants and disrupt Arevalo and Vice President-elect Karin Herrera's scheduled inauguration in January.
Arevalo dismissed the prosecutor's action as 'absolutely illegal' and an affront to democracy, vowing that the efforts will not prevent him from taking office.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Brian Nichols, condemned the prosecutor's actions, warning those seeking to block Arevalo will face consequences.
Since Arevalo's landslide victory in August, mass street protests have broken out across the country demanding the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been pursuing a criminal investigation against Arevalo and his party.