Guatemala: statement of the Dominican Government on the electoral process

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

We wish to express our thanks for the convening of this meeting and for the reports presented by the President of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) of Guatemala, the President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Chief of the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) and the Secretary General, Mr. Luis Almagro. We also thank the Permanent Mission of Guatemala for the new information it has provided today.

I will proceed to read an official statement of the Government of the Dominican Republic on this situation:

The Government of the Dominican Republic expresses its concern at the judicialization of the electoral process in the sister Republic of Guatemala, as well as at the attempts to disregard the popular will expressed at the polls on Sunday, June 25. Every electoral process must be conducted under the protection of a highest electoral authority that enjoys autonomy and independence, as is the case of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala. These conditions are necessary for the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to be able to fulfill its constitutional functions and thus guarantee the transparency, independence and credibility of the electoral process.

We call on Guatemala's democratic institutions, in strict adherence to the law, to provide the guarantees necessary so that, in the second round, both candidates may take part on equal terms and the citizenry may freely express its sovereign will.

We reiterate that only through the vote and respect for the Constitution and the laws in force can the democratic stability of the Republic of Guatemala be achieved.

Done in Santo Domingo, July 13, 2023.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.