Guatemala’s Congress refuses to recognize president-elect’s party

Guatemala’s Congress, which is controlled in its majority by the governing party, on Wednesday refused to recognize the seven lawmakers from the Seed Movement party of President-elect Bernardo Arevalo, following the suspension of his party earlier this week.
Lawmakers declared their Seed Movement colleagues independents in the latest move against the party since Arevalo’s landslide win Aug. 20. Prosecutors have accused the Seed Movement of wrongdoing in gathering signatures for the party’s registration years earlier. The case was announced in July after Arevalo won a surprise place in the presidential runoff against former first lady Sandra Torres.