President Alejandro Giammattei misses independence celebrations due to ‘severe flu’

The president did not attend the national celebrations of the 202nd anniversary of independence on Thursday, September 14, or Friday, September 15, in central Guatemala City.

The government led by Giammattei said through its communications channels that the 67-year-old retired doctor and surgeon had “severe influenza”.

Celebrations of Guatemala’s independence, promulgated on September 15, 1821, took place on Thursday, September 14, and Friday, September 15, in front of the National Palace of Culture, the headquarters of the government, with numerous military and civilian processions.

Defense Secretary Henry Reyes and Prime Minister Mario Bucaro attended the commemoration in Giammattei’s absence.

Guatemala’s celebration of independence comes amid political tensions in the country, with the country’s public ministry seeking to delist newly elected President Bernardo Arevalo de León’s Movement for Semira party.

Read more: The History of Guatemala’s Independence: Reasons and Key Figures

As a result of these attempts, Arevalo de Leon this week suspended the government transition process he was undertaking with Giammattei, saying a “coup” against him was “in the making.”

It is precisely because of the current electoral situation in Guatemala that the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, recently visited Guatemala to supervise the transition process, which ultimately led to the suspension of the transition process.

Giammattei must leave his post on January 14 after four years of working with Vice President Guillermo Castillo, with whom he has been publicly in conflict since 2020 ·Guillermo Castillo is estranged.

READ ALSO: Independence Day: 10 works of art that tell the story of Guatemala’s history