Publicado el 17 Julio 2023
The Public Ministry, discloses details on the case «Movimiento Semilla Corruption»
On July 14, 2022, a Guatemalan citizen filed a complaint to the Electoral Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, that he had been illegally affiliated to the political party, Movimiento Semilla. In this same complaint, he indicated that on May 18, 2022, he had already informed the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Supremo Electoral), about this same issue.
In 2023, the case was transferred to the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity (FECI), which immediately proceeded to contact each presumed affiliated individual to the political party, Movimiento Semilla.
Additionally, to confirming the political party, had altered affiliation records, General Secretary and Presidential Candidate, Bernardo Arevalo, also filed a complaint against Jaime Gabriel Gudiel Arias, presenting a copy of the document for the massive adherence process to the political party, signed by Movimiento Semilla members, Samuel Pérez and Alberto Sánchez, document that also referenced affiliation team, Iliana and Ashley Gudiel, and confirming an existing payment of Q.7.00 (quetzals) per signature collected, which multiplied by more than 25,000 signatures, that were required for Movimiento Semilla, to constitute as an official political party, it added up approximately to the amount of Q.175,000.00 (quetzals), that up to this date Movimiento Semilla has failed to disclose the source of this obtained funding.
In May of this year, these incidents were reported by the FECI to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
Diligences were coordinated until this time, since it was not until July 11, 2023, that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal sent us the last solicited report, to corroborate the information requested, which allowed to gather the sufficient evidence, to let the FECI, proceed accordingly with the case.
In conclusion, the conducted diligences by the Public Ministry are not intended to interfere in the date of the second round of elections, nor to disqualify the participation of any candidate as it has been made to appear through disinformation campaigns.