- Title: Guatemalans march against President Morales amidst corruption allegations
- Date: 20th September 2018
- Summary: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (SEPTEMBER 20, 2018) (REUTERS) INDIGENOUS WOMEN MARCHING AGAINST PRESIDENT JIMMY MORALES WOMEN ON FOOTPATH CHEERING ON PROTESTERS PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTERS MAKING NOISE WITH MAKESHIFT INSTRUMENTS PROTESTERS MARCHING SIGN AT PROTEST THAT READS, "THE COUP ALREADY TOOK PLACE" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, ELI SAGASTUME, SAYING: "We are demanding the resignation of the President (Jimmy Morales) because he does not know how to govern. The only thing that he is doing is being manipulated by the corrupt. We are tired. We are poorer in Guatemala. We have high levels of malnutrition. Education is going down. Guatemala has a lot of good things to give but he (Morales) is denying us that right." PLACARD WITH DOCTORED PHOTO OF MORALES IN PRISON FATIGUES GENERAL VIEW OF PROTESTERS GATHERED IN LOCAL SQUARE PROTESTERS BANGING DRUMS, MAKESHIFT INSTRUMENTS PROTESTERS JUMPING AND CHANTING PROTESTERS WITH GUATEMALAN FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, LUIS BARILLAS, SAYING: "If he was good politician he would support the fight against corruption and remove those who are corrupt from the government. But he's done the opposite. After talking about a fight against corruption, saying that he was not a thief or corrupt, he did the exact opposite. He hooked up with them (the corrupt) to form his government." PROTESTERS GATHERED, POLICE IN FOREGROUND RAINBOW FLAGS SEEN AMONGST GUATEMALAN FLAGS GENERAL VIEW OF PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, AMILCAR, SAYING: "I repeat, Jimmy (Morales) go back to your day job (as a television comic). You are good at that but for governing Guatemala you failed us, you failed citizens." PLACARD THAT READS "DON'T BELIEVE THE SOVEREIGNTY STORY. THIS GOVERNMENT IS TYRANNICAL" PROTESTERS GATHERED GUATEMALAN FLAGS AT GATHERING PROTESTERS GATHERED NEAR CATHEDRAL GUATEMALAN FLAG BEING WAVED IN THE AIR
- Embargoed: 4th October 2018 23:58
- Keywords: Guatemala President Jimmy Morales Guatemala City protesters CICIG corruption march
- Location: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA
- City: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA
- Country: Guatemala
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0018YFNAKJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands marched on Guatemala City on Thursday (September 20) against President Jimmy Morales, criticizing moves from his government to bar the head of a U.N. anti-corruption body from entering the country after investigations that implicated the president's family.
President Jimmy Morales had ordered Ivan Velasquez, head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), to be denied entry and asked the United Nations to send a replacement. Morales has said the commission's mandate would end next September, attacking the body which brought down his predecessor as president with a corruption probe.
In a separate graft case, the CICIG and Guatemala's attorney general last year attempted to prosecute Morales on suspicion he had engaged in illegal financing during his 2015 presidential election campaign. He denied any wrongdoing.
Citizens have since derided the Morales for turning back on his vows to stamp out corruption in Guatemala and called for his resignation.
Morales' credibility has suffered due to the CICIG's investigations, and he has moved to align himself more closely with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In December, Guatemala was one of a handful of countries to back Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in a vote at the United Nations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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