President Luis Abinader received President-elect of Guatemala César Bernardo Arévalo de León with honors at the Presidential Palace on Monday, 18 December 2023.
The President-elect participated in a meeting with Vice President Raquel Peña, Minister of Foreign Relations Roberto Alvarez, Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ignacio Paliza, Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations Ruben Silie and Jose Julio Gomez and Guatemala’s ambassador Sara Emilia Altagracia Paulino Cárdenas.
Abinader hosted lunch for the President-elect and latter invited him to join the Monday press conference.
During the press conference, President Luis Abinader sided with the Guatemalan visitor. State prosecutors have disputed the election in Guatemala. The prosecutors have requested that Arevalo be stripped of his political immunity, a step that could open him up to prosecution. They have accused him of improperly gathering signatures for his presidential campaign, and mishandling political funds.
Addressing the press, President Abinader said that his support is also in gratitude because Arevalo’s father opened Guatemala’s doors to several Dominicans who fled the Trujillo dictatorship. The late Juan Jose Arevalo received the Order of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella in 1972 for his actions in favor of Dominicans.
Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal has declared the results of the August 2023 presidential election in Guatemala “unalterable” after the public prosecutors openly questioned whether to annul the vote.
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19 December 2023