Guatemalans block highways across the country to protest ongoing election turmoil
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal by the attorney general, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Protestors demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche outside the Attorney General’s Office in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Protestors demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. The sign uses a play on words, with “Consuelo” meaning “help,’ in Spanish : “Consuelo is help for the corrupt. Resign.” Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, left, greets Supreme Electoral Court Judge Blanca Alfaro as they meet at the court’s offices in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. The meeting comes amid protests against the attorney general’s latest raids on the Supreme Electoral Court, Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Photos of Attorney General Consuelo Porras, left, and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche hang under the Spanish word “out” where protestors gather to demand their resignations in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A demonstrator holds the Spanish sign “Get out coup plotters” at a protest demanding the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, whose photos are on the banner behind, in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal by the attorney general, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal by the attorney general, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal by the attorney general, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Protestors demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche outside the Attorney General’s Office in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Protestors demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche outside the Attorney General’s Office in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Protestors demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. The sign uses a play on words, with “Consuelo” meaning “help,’ in Spanish : “Consuelo is help for the corrupt. Resign.” Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Protestors demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. The sign uses a play on words, with “Consuelo” meaning “help,’ in Spanish : “Consuelo is help for the corrupt. Resign.” Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, left, greets Supreme Electoral Court Judge Blanca Alfaro as they meet at the court’s offices in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. The meeting comes amid protests against the attorney general’s latest raids on the Supreme Electoral Court, Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, left, greets Supreme Electoral Court Judge Blanca Alfaro as they meet at the court’s offices in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. The meeting comes amid protests against the attorney general’s latest raids on the Supreme Electoral Court, Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Photos of Attorney General Consuelo Porras, left, and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche hang under the Spanish word “out” where protestors gather to demand their resignations in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Photos of Attorney General Consuelo Porras, left, and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche hang under the Spanish word “out” where protestors gather to demand their resignations in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A demonstrator holds the Spanish sign “Get out coup plotters” at a protest demanding the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A demonstrator holds the Spanish sign “Get out coup plotters” at a protest demanding the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the attorney general’s latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, whose photos are on the banner behind, in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal by the attorney general, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
People block a road to demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, whose photos are on the banner behind, in Guatemala City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Indigenous organizations are blocking some roads across the country to protest the latest raids on Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal by the attorney general, after elections. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Thousands of people blocked highways across Guatemala on Monday in reaction to the attorney general’s office seizing vote tallies from electoral authorities over the weekend as part of ongoing investigations into accusations of voting fraud that observers say are politically motivated.
Indigenous groups and rural farm workers stalled traffic on major transportation arteries as President-elect Bernardo Arévalo met with magistrates of Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal to urge unity against what they see as a violation of voters’ will.
Magistrate Mynor Franco, 70, who wrestled federal agents trying to take boxes of vote tallies on Saturday, said Monday in a news conference that the attorney general’s office actions “were an assault on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.”
“When they come in with covered faces and sunglasses in the morning, you say, ‘are they criminals or authorities?’” Franco said.
Arévalo said Monday he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the situation.
Aleisar Arana, an Indigenous leader of the Xinca people, said the protests would continue until Attorney General Consuelo Porras steps down and the Constitutional Court – Guatemala’s highest – intervenes to put an end to Porras’ “abusive actions.”
Arévalo has characterized investigations into his party and electoral authorities as an attempted coup d’etat and the Organization of American States observation mission said prosecutors’ actions appeared to be aimed at keeping Arévalo from taking office.
Arévalo was the surprise electoral victor, building support with an anti-corruption campaign that attracted frustrated voters.
Independent election observers have said that they did not see evidence of fraud that would have affected the results in either round of voting.