Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo yesterday promised to fight corruption and stand firm against global authoritarianism, in his first speech after being sworn in.
“We will not allow our institutions to be bent by corruption and impunity,” he said at the inauguration ceremony — held in Guatemala City more than nine hours late after a last-ditch effort to prevent the anti-corruption crusader from taking office.
The 65-year-old former lawmaker, diplomat and sociologist pulled off a major upset when he swept from obscurity to win elections in August last year, firing up voters weary of graft in one of Latin America’s poorest nations.
Photo: AFP
He took the oath of office after warding off a barrage of attempts to prevent him from taking power — including by prosecutors facing accusations of graft who are closely aligned with the nation’s political and economic ruling class.
The prosecutors had tried to overturn the election results and strip Arevalo — who enjoyed strong support from the international community — of immunity from prosecution. His Semilla (Seed) party had its registration suspended on fraud allegations widely seen as trumped up.
The opposition-dominated Congress on Sunday engaged in hours of tug-of-war over the status of 23 Semilla lawmakers due to the party’s suspension. The lawmakers were finally accepted and the inauguration ceremony got underway at about midnight.
With the presidential sash across his chest, Arevalo warned of “a wave of authoritarianism, the spread of intolerance, the restriction of dissent.”
“During these last months we have faced complex tensions and challenges that led many to believe that we were destined for an authoritarian setback,” he said, adding that Guatemala’s “painful passage of uncertainty” was now giving way to hope.
With Guatemala being one of 12 UN member states that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the inauguration was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Spanish King Felipe VI also attended the ceremony.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric had to leave before the ceremony, due to the lengthy delays.
In a nearby square, thousands of supporters had gathered to await the ceremony, waving flags in a festive atmosphere with music and dancing.
Indigenous Mayans had earlier lit incense and danced along to the rhythm of drums, celebrating the pending change in government.
Additional reporting by staff writer
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
RSS