The Indigenous leaders who saved Guatemala's election have spent a year in jail on terrorism' charges

"Amnesty International considers Luis Pacheco and Hector Chaclan, who prevented the derailment of the election result in 2023, to be prisoners of conscience Bernardo Arevalo protests with indigenous groups in Guatemala on April 23.Moises Castillo (AP) Luis Pacheco and Hector Chaclan completed a year in prison in April after being charged with terrorism, illicit association and obstruction of criminal proceedings, a situation that has led Amnesty International to declare them prisoners of conscience."

"The pair are representatives of the organization known as the 48 Cantons of Totonicapan, which brings together a battle-hardened Indigenous people from west of Guatemala City. The 48 Cantons is one of the strongest organizations of the Indigenous movement in the Central American country, and led the 2023 social protests that defended the electoral results in which Bernardo Arevalo won the presidency."

"Back in 2023, the country ground to a standstill when various sections of society demanded Arevalo's victory be respected and the attorney general, Consuelo Porras, be forced to resign. The public's indignation erupted after raids on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the seizure of the electoral records and the beginning of an investigation against the center-left Movimiento Semilla Seed Movement Arevalo's party."

"The first to demonstrate and defend democracy were the 48 Cantons, triggering a wave of protests that were generally peaceful and involved dances and recreational activities while closing the main roads in and out of the capital. There was also a sit-in that was maintained in front of the Public Prosecutor's building."

Luis Pacheco and Hector Chaclan were arrested in April 2025 and charged with terrorism, illicit association, and obstruction of criminal proceedings. Amnesty International considers them prisoners of conscience. They are representatives of the 48 Cantons of Totonicapan, an Indigenous organization in western Guatemala that helped lead the 2023 social protests defending the electoral results in which Bernardo Arevalo won the presidency. In 2023, public anger grew after raids on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, seizure of electoral records, and an investigation into Arevalo’s party, Movimiento Semilla. The 48 Cantons organized generally peaceful demonstrations, including road closures, dances, recreational activities, and a sit-in outside the Public Prosecutor’s building.

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