Guatemala prosecutors seek to drop terrorism charges against Indigenous leaders

The Guatemalan Public Ministry has requested the dismissal of criminal charges against four Indigenous leaders accused of terrorism, sedition, and unlawful association. The leaders—Luis Pacheco, Héctor Chaclán, Basilio Puac, and Esteban Toc—were originally charged for their roles in the October 2023 protests that supported the election of President Bernardo Arévalo and called for the resignation of former Attorney General Consuelo Porras.

Prosecutor Cristian Arturo Beteta stated that new anthropological and institutional assessments determined the protests were an exercise of freedom of expression and community decision-making by the 48 Cantones of Totonicapán. Consequently, the prosecution argued that the charges of terrorism and sedition are logically unsustainable.

Amnesty International welcomed the move, noting that Pacheco and Chaclán had previously been designated prisoners of conscience after spending over 15 months in pretrial detention. The judicial decision to end the proceedings follows a shift in the Public Ministry's stance under new leadership. Judge Mynor Moto is expected to rule on the request for dismissal.