Guatemala prosecutors request to remove Arevalo's presidential immunity

FILE PHOTO: Guatemala's President Bernardo Arevalo attends an event to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of the Guatemalan Army, in Guatemala City, Guatemala June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemalan prosecutors on Wednesday filed a request to strip President Bernardo Arevalo of the criminal immunity granted to his role so he can face charges for alleged abuse of authority, the latest twist in an ongoing face-off between the two sides.

This is the third such request lodged against Arevalo in the year since he was elected after running on an anti-graft campaign. All have come from the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI), which first sought to prevent Arevalo from taking office, and have worked to force him to abandon it.