LatinNews Daily - 19 December 2023

*Guatemala’s constitutional court (CC) has vetoed the state budget for 2024 which President Alejandro Giammattei sanctioned on 15 December. The top court was ruling on appeals presented by local NGO Fundación Pro Bienestar del Minusválido (Fundabiem) and lawyer, Edgar Benjamín Tuy on local press reports. Civil society groups, the private sector and President-elect Bernardo Arévalo had all come out against the budget which was approved by congress on 30 November for Q124.88bn (US$15.94bn), up from Q118.17bn in 2023; last week Arévalo, who has hailed the CC’s ruling, called on Giammattei to veto it, highlighting “multiple illegalities” and the fact that “several provisions undermine the authority, competence, and leadership that ministers hold across the entire country regarding matters specific to their department and the corresponding public policies related to their substantive duties, as well as the legal faculty to administer financial resources”. Among other issues, Arévalo also raised corruption concerns, stating that NGOs that “lack experience, are unknown, or have evident ties to political actors” have been assigned an “unprecedented” Q5.19bn.