Guatemala heads for elections amid political tumult
Former President of Guatemala Otto Perez Molina, center, is escorted by police detectives on his way to jail, after a court hearing where he faces corruption charges, in Guatemala City, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015. Perez Molina was detained overnight before the hearing was to resume Friday morning. Judge Miguel Angel Galvez cited a need to “ensure the continuity of the hearing” and guarantee the former president’s personal safety. AP
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—Protesters railed against Guatemala’s disgraced ex-president Otto Perez outside his court hearing on corruption allegations Friday, two days before elections that have been upended by his resignation and jailing.
READ: Guatemala president resigns amid corruption probe
Hundreds of protesters outraged over a torrent of scandals that engulfed Perez’s administration gathered outside the Supreme Court as prosecutors continued detailing their case against the fallen president.
Many demonstrators called for Sunday’s elections to be postponed until sweeping reforms can be implemented, even as candidates wrapped up their final day of campaigning.
Perez, who spent the night in a military prison after submitting his resignation to Congress late Wednesday, will spend the weekend in jail, after the hearing adjourned until Tuesday.
Perez said he was “saddened” as he left the court in police custody.
As a criminal suspect in custody pending prosecution, he will not be allowed to vote Sunday.
Earlier, he took the stand to deny involvement in the multimillion-dollar fraud scheme he is accused of masterminding.
Prosecutors say the 64-year-old retired general ran a network of corrupt officials that took bribes from businesses to clear their imports through customs at a fraction of the actual tax rate.
The bribes amounted to $3.8 million between May 2014 and April 2015, including $800,000 received by Perez, prosecutors allege.
“Your honor, I would not put my sacrifice and dignity at risk for $800,000 nor for any amount,” said Perez, wearing a dark suit and tie.
Defending his integrity, Perez told the court that fugitive Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman had once offered him a bribe “10 times that amount or more” when Perez led the operation that first captured the kingpin in 1993.
Guzman managed to escape eight years later by bribing his guards at a maximum-security prison in Mexico—a feat he repeated this July after being recaptured in 2014.
Perez vowed to continue defending his innocence, then refused to answer questions from the judge or prosecutors.
READ: Guatemala swears in new president amid corruption storm
Outside, demonstrators—mostly indigenous Guatemalans—continued celebrating the conservative leader’s downfall after months of unprecedented protests.
“Politicians have always done whatever they wanted here. These corruption scandals have made a lot of people wake up. We’re not going to take it anymore,” 34-year-old nutritionist Luisa Monterroso told AFP.
