GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – Amid mounting protests against President Alejandro Giamattei and a legislator for approving a controversial budget that cuts education and health spending, hundreds of protesters stormed Guatemala’s Congress and burned down part of the building.
The incident happened as about 7,000 people were protesting in front of the National Palace in Guatemala City against corruption and the budget, which protesters say was secretly negotiated and passed by legislators while the Central American country back-to-back. Was distracted from falling. Back hurricanes and the Covid-19 epidemic.
The video on social media showed flames firing from a window in the MLA building. Those who resisted police tear gas was invoked.
“I think the future is being stolen from us. We don’t see any change, this can’t be continued, “said Mauricio Ramirez, a 20-year-old university student.
The extent of the damage to the building was unclear, but initially the flames affected legislators’ offices instead of the main congressional chamber. Protesters also set fire to several bus stations.
Giamatte condemned the fire on his Twitter account on Saturday.
“Anyone found to have participated in criminal acts will be punished with full force of law.” He wrote that he defended the people’s right to protest, “but we cannot allow people to sabotage public or private property.”
The president said he was meeting with various groups to introduce changes to the disputed budget.
Dissatisfaction with the 2021 budget was growing on social media and clashes erupted during demonstrations on Friday. Guatemalans were furious because legislators allowed 000 65,000 to pay for meals for themselves, but cut funding for coronavirus patients and human rights agencies.
Opponents were also outraged by the recent move, seen by the Supreme Court and the Attorney General as an attempt to weaken the fight against corruption.
Vice President Guillermo Castillo has offered to resign, telling Jiamattei that both should resign from their positions “for the good of the country.” He suggested an attempt to veto the approved budget, sack government officials and make more contact in various sectors across the country.
Giamatta did not publicly respond to the proposal, and Castillo did not share the president’s response to his proposal. Castillo said he would not resign alone.
The spending plan was secretly negotiated and approved by Congress before early Wednesday morning. It also passed when the country was distracted by hurricanes Eta and Iota, causing torrential rains in most parts of Central America.
The leadership of the Roman Catholic Church in Guatemala also called on Giamattei to veto the budget on Friday.
The country’s human rights lawyer Jordan Rhodes said this is a misleading blow to the people because Guatemala was in the midst of natural disasters, government corruption, signs of globalization in humanitarian aid.
He said the budget favored ministries that have historically been centers of corruption.
In 2015, President Otto Perez Molina, his Vice President Roxana Baldetti and members of his cabinet resigned in the wake of large-scale anti-corruption protests. The former president and Baldetti are in jail awaiting trial in various corruption cases.
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