A demonstrator wears a Guy Fawkes mask on the back of his head at a protest against corruption outside the National Palace in Guatemala City, Saturday, June 11, 2016. AP Photo/Moises Castillo. All rights reserved.
When we think of democracy, we tend to envision a political and social model in which citizens are able to use representative tracks to channel their aspirations and proposals; in which the state responds to their demands, protects their rights and translates them into concrete policies and programs aimed at increasing both their private and public wellbeing; in which the state ensures that justice benefits everyone equally, and in which the people can participate in the decisions that affect their daily lives.
In August 2015, Guatemala, a country of approximately 16 million people, mostly women and indigenous people, shuddered at the announcement of its President Otto Pérez Molina’s and its Vice President Roxana Baldetti’s arrest. The two were accused of running a large network of customs-related corruption that left the public coffers empty and prompted a severe financial crisis.
The general feeling was one of triumph: by keeping up the pressure in the streets, the Guatemalan people had managed to overthrow of a president and vice president and opened up a new era for democracy in the country. The international media sent the message around that Guatemala was a democratic example for Latin America and the world - much as the Arab Spring.
