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In the largest protests to date against Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, several thousand people took to the streets in Guatemala City on Saturday. On the sidelines of the mostly peaceful protests, a group stormed Congress and set parts of the building on fire.
The recordings show how the flames struck from a window of the parliament in the historic center of the city. According to eyewitnesses, the flames could be seen several blocks away. The Red Cross treated several people for smoke inhalation, a spokesman for the organization said. Firefighters then controlled the fire, police said.
“There is a right to demonstrate,” President Giammattei wrote on Twitter. “But we cannot allow public or private property to be destroyed. Anyone who participates in these criminal acts will face the full severity of the law. “
Controversial state budget
The protests are directed against the budget for 2021, which includes cuts in the social, education and health sectors. The budget was last approved by members of parliament in a fast-track procedure without public debate. The draft met with the rejection of numerous social groups from businessmen to social movements and from the educational sector to the Catholic Church. The high level of new loans was also criticized.
The protesters waved Guatemalan flags and carried signs that read “Giammattei, take a step back.” “Congressmen allocate more money but no longer distribute it to the poor,” criticized Diego Herrera, 25.
The budget of billions for the year 2021 is loading the country with high debt. Additionally, most of the money goes to infrastructure run by private companies, rather than fighting widespread poverty in Guatemala. 59.3 percent of the 17 million inhabitants of Guatemala live in poverty, and around half of the children under the age of five are malnourished.
The country is also suffering the consequences of the devastating tropical storms “Eta” and “Iota”. According to experts, the increasing intensity of tropical cyclones is a consequence of climate change.
Vice President offers to resign
Shortly before the protests on Saturday, Vice President Guillermo Castillo asked the head of state to resign with him “for the good of the country.” Castillo informed the public about this through a message on online networks and in a WhatsApp message to journalists.
The trained doctor Giamattei is also under criticism for his handling of the crown. Hospitals in the Central American country are struggling with supply bottlenecks. According to official information, so far 118,417 corona infections have been detected in Guatemala, 4074 infected people have died.
On the sidelines of the mostly peaceful demonstration, protesters threw stones at police and officials fired tear gas at the crowd. A spokeswoman for the San Juan de Dios Hospital said that 14 people were being treated for various injuries and the effects of tear gas.
