US raises concerns about acts to 'undermine' Guatemala's democracy

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Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arevalo attends a press conference in Guatemala City
Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arevalo attends a press conference after prosecutors ordered a temporary suspension of Semilla party's legal registration, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 28, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday congratulated Bernardo Arevalo on his election as the next president of Guatemala, but added the United States remained "concerned with continued actions by those who seek to undermine Guatemala's democracy."
Guatemala's supreme electoral tribunal on Monday ratified the victory, opens new tab of center-left candidate Arevalo in the country's presidential election, although a new bid to suspend the president-elect's party sowed fresh confusion about the fraught process.
"Such anti-democratic behavior, including efforts by the Public Ministry and other actors to suspend the President-elect's political party and intimidate election authorities, undercuts the clear will of the Guatemalan people and is inconsistent with the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter," Blinken said in a statement released by the U.S. State Department on Tuesday.
Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei said Tuesday the path was set for an "orderly and transparent transition, opens new tab" of power following the presidential election, despite the new bid to suspend the winning Semilla party sowing fresh doubts.
Giammattei added that he would meet with President-elect Arevalo, who was swept to victory vowing to tackle corruption, on Sept. 4.
Giammattei's statement came after a document from the citizens registry ordering a temporary suspension of Arevalo's Semilla party's legal registration caused new confusion over the election results.
Arevalo, a 64-year-old ex-diplomat and son of a former president, won the Aug. 20 second-round run-off with more than 58% of the vote after prosecutors had earlier threatened to bar Semilla from the election, prompting international outcry.

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Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese and Christopher Cushing

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Kanishka Singh is a breaking news reporter for Reuters in Washington DC, who primarily covers US politics and national affairs in his current role. His past breaking news coverage has spanned across a range of topics like the Black Lives Matter movement; the US elections; the 2021 Capitol riots and their follow up probes; the Brexit deal; US-China trade tensions; the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan; the COVID-19 pandemic; and a 2019 Supreme Court verdict on a religious dispute site in his native India.

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