Gu Guatemalan Court Drops Terrorism Charges Against Deputy Minister and Indigenous Leaders

Guatemala's Deputy Minister Luis Pacheco embraces his wife following a hearing concerning terrorism charges linked to the 2023 demonstrations at Guatemala City's Justice Palace on September 10.

A Guatemalan court has officially cleared a deputy minister and three additional Indigenous leaders of terrorism charges stemming from their leadership in protests against a prosecutor accused of attempting to prevent President Bernardo Arevalo from assuming office.

Judge Mynor Moto of the Third Criminal Court dismissed the case on Friday following a request from prosecutors, who determined after an internal investigation that the four individuals violated no laws by organizing the demonstrations in October 2023.

This ruling contributes to the unraveling of a prosecutorial case established under former Attorney General Consuelo Porras. Porras faced sanctions from the United States, the European Union, Canada, and various other governments regarding corruption allegations, the targeting of human rights advocates, and attempts to undermine President Bernardo Arevalo’s 2023 election victory. She subsequently failed to secure a third term as attorney general in April after a judicial commission excluded her from the candidate shortlist.

Luis Pacheco currently serves as the deputy minister of sustainable development at Guatemala’s Ministry of Energy and Mines and previously headed the 48 Cantones of Totonicapan, a Maya Indigenous authority located in the western highlands recognized for organizing protests. He faced prosecution alongside Hector Chaclan, former treasurer of the group; Basilio Puac, former vice president; and Esteban Toc, a former deputy mayor of the Indigenous municipality of Solola, which functions as an independent traditional authority alongside the official town council.

Prosecutors had leveled accusations of illicit association, terrorism, and obstructing justice against all four men, with Basilio Puac and Esteban Toc additionally facing sedition charges over protests demanding the resignation of Consuelo Porras after allegations emerged that she attempted to block President Bernardo Arevalo’s inauguration.

Following his suspension during the legal proceedings, the ministry stated it welcomed the decision and anticipated Luis Pacheco returning to his duties shortly.

The United Nations human rights office noted that the ruling reaffirms the freedoms of expression and assembly while acknowledging legitimate forms of Indigenous organization, noting a documented broader trend of criminalizing Indigenous leaders in Guatemala.

President Bernardo Arevalo, who assumed office in 2024 following months of legal hurdles orchestrated by the office of Consuelo Porras, has prioritized dismantling those prosecutions by appointing a new attorney general committed to reviewing cases arbitrarily initiated under the previous administration.