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The heads of the Guatemalan chamber of commerce CACIF demanded the resignation of President Otto Perez Molina on Friday, during a press conference, less than 24-hours after the former country's Vice President Roxana Baldetti was arrested over her alleged participation in government corruption.
“We believe this is the appropriate time to demand the resignation of President Otto Perez," said CACIF President Jorge Briz, adding that the president had not implemented the measures that the group had demanded.
Briz also said that Congress had behaved with an “unacceptable irresponsibility and indifference,” over the corruption allegations against the president. Last week, Guatemala’s congress voted to uphold Perez Molina’s presidential immunity from trial. The decision blocked further investigation into the president’s alleged involvement in corruption and the potential for his impeachment as a result of a congressional probe.
The political shake-up comes just weeks before Guatemala’s September 6 general elections. Social movements have called for elections to be postponed in the face of political crisis and for a null vote in protest under the popular banner “under these conditions, we don’t want elections.”
Briz called on the population to vote responsibly and “to elect honest people”.
The movement “Justice Now” (#JusticiaYa) tweeted “better now than never” in response to the CACIF announcement, adding that the group had finally ceded because of public pressure, which has been defending this in the name of “institutionality”.
CACIF is among the latest sectors of Guatemalan society to demand the president's resignation.
Earlier on Friday, the Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor called for an impeachment process against the president. President Perez Molina has repeatedly reiterated he will not resign, and will carry out his term until January.
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