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Attempts to subvert democracy have become a staple of our time. But amid this deeply worrisome trend is an encouraging development: Those attempts appear to be failing, as those who support democracy get better at defending it. Consider Guatemala, where a soft coup was defeated by the country’s citizens and international pressure.
In Guatemala, efforts by the outgoing administration of President Alejandro Giammattei to prevent President-elect Bernardo Arevalo from taking office continue despite evidence that Guatemalans are determined to defend the electoral results. Most recently, the government has tried to cook up a criminal case against Arevalo.
Guatemalans have taken to the streets to make sure President-elect Bernardo Arevalo takes office in January as scheduled. The protesters are convinced that Guatemala’s ruling political and economic elites are attempting to undo the results of the country’s recent presidential election—and they have good reason to be alarmed.
The probability that Bernardo Arevalo will succeed as Guatemala’s president is slim, but so were the odds of him making it this far to become president-elect. In spite of all the reasons for pessimism, this is a success story that the entire hemisphere should embrace. Arevalo can succeed if the world pays attention.
Guatemala might be holding general elections on June 25, but it is rapidly losing its claim to be a democracy. A cohort of predatory factions has been jointly coopting independent institutions and pushing opponents into exile or jail since 2019, leading many Guatemalans to view the election as a pointless farce.
In Guatemala’s upcoming presidential election, change is not on the ballot. President Alejandro Giammattei cannot run for reelection, and the candidate for his conservative Vamos party won’t win. But while Giammattei’s party might be unable to hold onto power, it has prevented any candidates who threaten the status quo from winning.