Unrest in Guatemala: Ambassador Alpuche Says Belizeans there Monitoring Situation
Protests have broken out in Guatemala, with thousands taking to the streets on Thursday, lighting fires and blocking roads across the country. The protestors who are an amalgamation of different interests, many of who are indigenous people, are demanding the resignation of President Alejandro Giammattei. This follows the firing of a well-known anti-corruption prosecutor. Since Guatemala’s Attorney General Maria Porras removed Juan Francisco Sandoval as head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity, the protests have gained momentum. But, Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala, Jose Alpuche told News Five today that Belizeans at home can rest assured that the protests have not affected their loved ones in Guatemala.
On the Phone: H.E. Jose Alpuche, Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala
On the Phone: H.E. Jose Alpuche,
“It does have impact countrywide but luckily to date they are planned and they are contained in certain areas, so people are still able to move around relatively freely and safely as long as the areas where the protests are held are avoided. As long as we keep in tuned with the media here in Guatemala and avoid the areas where protests are being held, everybody should be safe. We know there are general concerns, especially by parents with children studying here in Guatemala but I can assure them that up to now it is still fairly easy to move around and fairly safe to move around and we all just have to continue monitoring and avoid areas where protestors are. We know some of the student bodies have been involved in the protests but to date we have absolutely no report of any national being impacted.”
Ambassador Alpuche says the diplomatic missions in Guatemala are also safe because aside from their own personal security arrangements, the Guatemalan government provides additional security for the embassies. Juan Francisco Sandoval, who has since fled Guatemala, has said that he was fired after the Guatemalan Attorney General prevented him from trying to investigate corruption cases with links to President Giammattei.
