Speaking on behalf of the European Union on Monday, 21 August, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell congratulated the candidate of the progressive Semilla Movement, Bernardo Arévalo, on his victory in the second round of the Guatemalan presidential elections.
The EU welcomed the fact that the outgoing president, Alejandro Giammattei, had already acknowledged the election results and stressed the importance of a smooth political transition in Guatemala, through the transfer of power scheduled to take place in January 2024.
In its preliminary report, the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) led by Jordi Cañas (Renew Europe, Spanish) noted on Tuesday, 22 August, the judicial attempts to call into question the results of the first electoral round (see EUROPE 13228/18) and warned against possible subsequent actions interfering in the democratic process. Describing the campaign for the second round as “discreet and quiet”, it nevertheless points to a “digital space flooded with disinformation and defamatory content” primarily aimed at Mr Arévalo.
See the preliminary report by the EOM (in Spanish): https://aeur.eu/f/8cd (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)