Guatemala (12 December 2023)

France strongly condemns attempts to challenge the results of Guatemala’s general elections held on June 25 and August 20.

France supported the deployment of an EU Election Observation Mission to Guatemala, which concluded that the general elections were conducted fairly, and the election results were declared unalterable by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Legal challenges targeting the president-elect, his party and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal represent a grave threat to the transition process, the rule of law and democracy in Guatemala.

The EU and its member states are working on the adoption of a European autonomous framework for sanctions against those responsible for these actions, as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy stated on December 8.

France calls on all Guatemalan authorities to abide by the expressed will of the Guatemalan people and to take all measures to ensure a safe and orderly presidential transition on the scheduled date, January 14.