Actions to Impose Additional Visa Restrictions in Response to Anti-Democratic Actions in Guatemala
The United States rejects the continued efforts to undermine Guatemala’s peaceful transition of power to President-elect Arévalo. Most recently, the Guatemalan Public Ministry seized electoral materials under the custody of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), called for the forced removal of peaceful protestors, pressed for the removal of the Minister of Governance who protected the right to peaceful protest, and sought to lift the immunity of a member of Congress who publicly expressed concern about these anti-democratic measures.
These acts followed earlier attempts to strip TSE officials’ immunity in addition to raids on their offices and the storage facilities that house elections results records. Such anti-democratic behavior undermines Guatemala’s democratic institutions and is inconsistent with the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. We join other regional and international institutions, including the OAS and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in calling for a transfer of power that respects popular will and adheres to the rule of law in Guatemala.
The United States stands with those seeking to safeguard democracy and rule of law in Guatemala. Under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, we are imposing visa restrictions on over a dozen individuals, and their immediate family members, for undermining democracy and the rule of law. These individuals include Public Ministry officials and other public and private sector actors engaging in undermining democracy or the rule of law in Guatemala. The Guatemalan people have spoken. Their voices must be respected.
Official news published at https://www.state.gov/actions-to-impose-additional-visa-restrictions-in-response-to-anti-democratic-actions-in-guatemala/
Politics - JISIP NEWS originally published at Politics - JISIP NEWS
FOREIGN MINISTER FIDAN: (Via interpreter) Distinguished members of the press, today we are hosting the U.S. Secretary of State, my counterpart, Secretary Antony Blinken, in Ankara. And I’m very pleased to host him. He has been received last by our president today, and as of this meeting we have been having intense deliberations. Of course […]
Representatives from the U.S. Department of State, including Jennifer Bachus, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy; and Allison Peters, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; as well as Jaisha Wray, Assistant Administrator for the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will […]
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Good morning, everyone. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Okay, so here’s a professional tip. Never follow Sara Minkara. (Laughter.) It’s a little bit like getting on stage after Taylor Swift. (Laughter.) Sara, it’s not just that I’m proud of you; it’s that I’m grateful for you, and for your entire team. The work that […]