President-elect Arevalo's inauguration ceremony in Guatemala did not take place

The swearing-in, which was expected to take place at 4:00 PM local time, caused a crisis in the country after the Guatemalan Supreme Court decided to suspend the activities of Arevalo's party, the Seed Movement (Movimiento Semilla).

Following the spread of the news of the decision, hundreds of Arevalo supporters clashed with security forces while protesting at Congress.

In a statement on his social media account X, Arevalo said, "Members of Congress are responsible for respecting the popular will expressed at the ballot box. Illegal practices, trivialities, and abuse of office are a blow to democracy. The people of Guatemala and the international community are watching what is happening."

Members of the Seed Movement who were elected to Congress were expected to be sworn in at 8:00 AM local time, but following the Supreme Court's decision, the ruling party was unable to take the oath.

RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM MANY COUNTRIES

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and Honduran President Xiomara Castro, who traveled to Guatemala to attend the inauguration ceremony, announced their "immediate" support for Arevalo.

Emphasizing that the judiciary had dealt a "blow" to democracy, Petro stated, "Here in Guatemala, the Congress of the Republic is not accepting the transfer of power to the President-elect, Bernardo Arevalo."

Chilean President Boric and Honduran President Castro also expressed their reactions to Congress in their posts and announced their support for Arevalo.

Following the decision, the European Union (EU) delegation, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and the Organization of American States (OAS), led by the United States, announced their support for Arevalo.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, in a statement to the press with the participation of all delegations, called on Congress, saying, "We call on Congress to transfer power to President-elect Arevalo and Vice President-elect Karin Herrera as required by the constitution. The people of Guatemala made their choice in a fair, free, and transparent manner, which has been endorsed by the international community."

In reports in the national press, it was suggested that even if Arevalo takes office, the fact that his party's deputies cannot be sworn in at Congress and cannot participate in legal activities would put the new administration in a difficult position.

PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE HAD CLAIMED ELECTION RESULTS WERE NOT VALID

Prosecutor Leonor Morales claimed in a press conference on December 9 that the documents regarding the election results were not original and that they had not been approved by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

While Arevalo was expected to take office on January 14, the Electoral Tribunal had refused to recognize the Seed Movement's deputies and had suspended the party's activities on September 19.

It was noted that the decision was taken as part of an investigation opened into allegations of irregularities during the process of collecting signatures for the party's establishment.

Arevalo announced that his party would appeal the decision, which he described as "legally invalid," and stated, "No one can stop me from taking office on January 14."