Guatemalan Protestors Demand President's Resignation
The streets of Guatemala surged with protestors on Saturday, demanding that President Otto Perez Molina and the country's top tax officials should step down following the resignation of the vice-president in a corruption scandal, according to sputnik.
About 30,000 to 60,000 protesters in a country of 15 million reacted to a call from the 'Citizens' Movement Against Corruption in Guatemala,' a collective of more than 20 organizations that were fighting corruption in the country.
"Our decision to establish the Citizens' Movement Against Corruption, a permanent instrument both institutionally and long-term, will have the sole purpose of taking concrete steps to combat corruption and achieve the ethical management of resources in Guatemala," the organization announced.
Though it was raining, strikers from 13 cities were seen banging drums and blowing whistles.
Protestors marched upto the main square in the capital, unfurling a banner reading "we are the people."
Without good leadership, the campaign was organized through the social media. Many sectors of the industry, including "business leaders, student groups, farmers and human rights organizations" were part of the group, according to dw.
Businessman Geovanni Vasquez revealed that he joined the march because he, like his colleagues, felt "indignant at the great corruption committed by government officials," according to startribune.
On May 8, the Guatemalan Vice-President Roxana Baldetti resigned after the public prosecutors disclosed that a customs fraud and bribery ring was operating in Guatemala's federal tax agency, following a probe by the UN's international Commission against Impunity.
Prosecutors uncovered the bribery scandal on April 16, with protestors gathering in front of the National Palace of Culture on April 25 to demand Baldetti's resignation. Cops disclosed that Baldetti's personal secretary is the main suspect.
In addition to Baldetti and her aide, at least 50 people, including public servants, have been implicated in the scheme, including the country's top current and former tax officials.
