Guatemala's Poder Ciudadano gathers over 2,500 signatures toward judicial reform

The civil association Poder Ciudadano launched a nationwide signature drive to propose a constitutional amendment that would overhaul Guatemala's justice system. In its first weekend the campaign collected more than 2,500 signatures, the halfway point to the 5,000 required for the proposal to be submitted to Congress.

The reform plan calls for the creation of a merit‑based judicial career, the elimination of the current postulation commissions, and the removal of university and congressional influence over the appointment of magistrates. Attorney Edgar Ortiz, a promoter of the initiative, said, "Nuestros objetivos son acercar la Constitución a la gente, tratar de cambiar el sistema de justicia…" and noted that the Constitution provides "un gran poder" to citizens who gather the necessary support.

Organizers have set up collection tables in the capital and in major cities such as Quetzaltenango, Cobán and Mazatenango, aiming to reach the full 5,000 signatures in the coming weeks and trigger a parliamentary debate on the judicial reform.