The impact of the U.S. presidential elections in November will surely extend beyond our borders and influence civil and political rights around the globe. The example the U.S. sets holds importance across the globe on a macro level; our actions speak volumes. And when the U.S. disregards the principles of rule of law and democracy, it sends a signal to authoritarian regimes that they can act with impunity.
One glaring example of this occurred during Donald Trump’s administration, which marked a significant shift in U.S. engagement with Central America. This pivot was especially palpable in Guatemala. The UN-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) had been created to dismantle criminal networks and combat rampant political corruption. In its 12-year history, it uncovered more than 70 organized crime syndicates and obtained more than 400 convictions (including that of former President Otto Perez Molina, leading to his resignation and arrest in 2015).
Its hard-won gains began to unravel however after President Jimmy Morales disbanded the commission in 2019 amidst an investigation into his own administration and started targeting his political opponents (In an apparent quid pro quo deal with Morales, Trump froze then withdrew funding for CICIG, triggering its demise and giving tacit approval for the persecution that followed). A culture of impunity thrived.
By contrast, the Biden administration has centered democratic values in its foreign policy. After Bernardo Arévalo won Guatemala’s presidency in a free and fair election in August 2023, the Attorney General’s office moved to annul the results in what was dubbed “a coup in slow motion.” The U.S. response was immediate: Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the efforts “anti-democratic”; the State Department sanctioned hundreds of Guatemalan politicians; and several members of Congress and administration officials visited Arévalo leading up to his inauguration to signal U.S. support for a democratic transition of power.
This proactive approach was bolstered by coordinated efforts from Guatemalan civil society organizations. Ancestral Indigenous Authorities, Otra Guatemala Ya!, and the Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos (UDEFEGUA) were among the 20+ AJWS grantee partners that joined a widespread mobilization that lasted more than 100 days to defend Arévalo’s win. It was their tenacity, coupled with US diplomacy, that culminated in Arévalo’s successfully taking office in January 2024.
Nelton Rivera, founder of Prensa Comunitaria, an AJWS grantee partner, said the possible return of a Republican government, especially one presided by Donald Trump, was “alarming.”
“The groups and economic elites that promoted the coup d’état after the results of the first round of elections in 2023 in Guatemala…have a direct affiliation with Trump and an ideological adherence with the Republican party,” he told AJWS. “If Trump returns, the sectors that promote and undermine democracy in (our) country…will continue weakening the State and democracy. This would increase judicial and political persecutions and criminalization against community journalists.”
Carmen Reina from Otra Guatemala Ya!, added, “If Trump wins, we will lose democratic support for our exiles! If Trump wins, the right-wing coup in Guatemala will be strengthened. If Trump wins, there will be a setback in the defense of human rights and further criminalization.”
Though our own democracy is imperfect, the actions of the U.S. resonate globally and sets a tone. By reinforcing democratic norms and supporting civil society, our government can act as a bulwark against authoritarianism, as seen in Guatemala’s recent history, and send the powerful message to all that respect for human rights is not merely aspirational but a fundamental right for everyone, everywhere.
