US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Guatemalan Officials and Elite to Counter Interference with Presidential Transition

Visa Restrictions Punish Guatemalan Elite and Officials Linked to Post-Election Sabotage, Amid Rising Immigration and Threats to Incoming President Arévalo's Life

• The US State Department has imposed visa restrictions on a dozen Guatemalan individuals, including government officials and their immediate families, over attempts to undermine President-elect Bernardo Arévalo's imminent presidency.
• Entities such as the Guatemalan Public Ministry have been engaging in anti-democratic activities, which have included the confiscation of electoral materials and facilitating the unlawful removal of peaceful protesters and government officials.
• Three individuals close to incumbent President Alejandro Giammattei, Gendri Rocael Reyes Mazariegos, Alberto Pimentel Mata, and Oscar Rafael Perez Ramirez, have been explicitly banned from entering the US due to their involvement in significant corruption.
• The US sanctions are perceived as a message against the escalation of threats to the constitutional order in Guatemala, amidst a surge in Guatemalan migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
• US officials are increasingly concerned about the stability of Guatemala, a significant route for migrants from South and Central America. Efforts for a peaceful transition of power are viewed as critical to Guatemala’s democratic future and to counterbalance rising authoritarian tendencies in Central America.

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The Hill Reuters United States Department of State