More from P.U.P. Candidate on Elections & Boundaries in Benque

Lesbia Guerra

Guerra also had another story to tell from Benque. The Elections and Boundaries Department is controlled completely by the party in power and there have been a veritable legion of complaints in past years – pre, during and post elections. Stories of select officers working very late into the night are commonplace. Tales of files and boxes leaving Elections and Boundaries offices in the dead of night are also well documented. Guerra’s experience is not uncommon. She objected to eight persons registered as voters who she says she verified lived in Guatemala. She was given a date in court, as is the practice, for those objections to be heard, but that never happened. 

Lesbia Guerra, P.U.P. Candidate, Cayo West

“We were informed by the Elections and Boundaries officer in Benque Viejo that the court case would be heard at the Magistrate Court in Benque Viejo. We got our attorneys and we got our witnesses and we were waiting in Benque Viejo for the case to be heard. In seeing that it was already half an hour late and the court was not open, we enquired at the Police Station to see what was going on and that was when they notified us that the Court was not going to be held in Benque Viejo but in San Ignacio. The attorney went ahead and contacted the Magistrate in San Ignacio and told her we were on the way and our reason for being late. Unfortunately when they reached San Ignacio as they were going up to the Magistrate’s Court they encountered a group of the U.D.P. coming down laughing at us and saying that the case was already dismissed. The attorney proceeded to speak with Magistrate Arana who was supposed to conduct the case and she told him that the case had already been dismissed because we did not appear in court. This is very unfair what they are doing.”