Protesters demonstrated in the capital Guatemala City as well as in several other areas around the country, calling for support for national fight against corruption, brought to light by a recent string of massive government scandals implicating several high-ranking government officials, including the president.
Protesta frente al Congreso. Piden la renuncia de @ottoperezmolina y aprobación de reformas a la LEPP. (F: E. Ávila) pic.twitter.com/cduSW3g4oa
— Prensa Libre (@prensa_libre)
August 5, 2015
“Protest in front of Congress. They demand the resignation of Otto Perez Molina and the approval of reforms to the Elections and Political Party Law.”
“Our fight against corruption does not have an end,” said campesino leader Julio Lopez, adding that the movement has not ruled out setting up highway blockades to pressure for their demands to be met.
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Guatemala's popular anti-corruption movement has also called for reforms to laws governing elections and political parties, but legislators have resisted making any move on the changes.
Calls for electoral reform and the postponement of the country's upcoming elections stems from recent evidence that illegal money from drug trafficking and corruption are the main source of funding for political parties' election campaigns.
Campesino protesters in rural areas also called for the nationalization of the country's energy resources.
Manifestación pacífica campesina para pedir #RenunciaYa en Solola pic.twitter.com/9DP3jxbQpC
— PrensaComunitaria (@PrensaComunitar)
August 5, 2015
“Peaceful campesino demonstration to demand [Perez Molina] resign now in Solola, Guatemala.”
Waves of popular demonstrations have taken over the streets and squares of Guatemala since April, when massive government fraud scandals first began to surface, including a US$14.5 million embezzlement scheme in the country's Social Security Institute.
Since April, the attorney general and the U.N. anti-impunity body known as CICIG have led fraud investigations that have led to more than 70 people being captured for links to corruption, including several government officials.
More than seven million voters are eligible to go to the polls on September 6 to elect the president, vice president, congress members, municipal mayors and councils, and Guatemalan deputies of the Central American Parliament.
Constitutional term limits bar President Perez Molina from running in the elections.