BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the resignation of President Otto Perez Molina and upcoming elections in Guatemala.
“President Otto Perez Molina’s resignation comes after months of peaceful protests, in which tens of thousands of Guatemalans have gathered across the country to demand an end to corruption and greater accountability from their public officials. Throughout this period, Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office and the United Nations’ International Community Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) have demonstrated the importance of independent judicial institutions in upholding democracy and the rule of law.
“With the country’s presidential elections scheduled for this Sunday, the Guatemalan people must be afforded the opportunity to choose their next president in a free, fair, and transparent electoral process. It is imperative that the United States and the international community stand with the Guatemalan people as they exercise their most fundamental democratic right and pursue a peaceful resolution of the current crisis.
“Additionally, it will be the unwavering responsibility of the country’s next president to fulfill the Guatemalan people’s aspirations for a future defined by greater opportunity and the end of corruption and impunity.
“In this context, I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate and House of Representative to ensure that the U.S. Congress maintains its support for defending the rule of law and promoting equitable economic growth in Guatemala.”
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