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National Change Union

The National Change Union (Spanish: Unión del Cambio Nacional), sometimes translated as the Union of National Change, was a national liberal[citation needed] political party in Guatemala.

National Change Union
Unión del Cambio Nacional
LeaderMario Estrada
Secretary-GeneralMario Estrada
Founded20 November 2006
Dissolved16 December 2021[1][2]
IdeologyNational liberalism[citation needed]
Political positionRight-wing[3][4] to far-right[5]
Regional affiliationCenter-Democratic Integration Group

History

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In the legislative elections held on 9 September 2007, the party secured 4.06% of the votes in the race for national-list deputies and held four seats in the 2008-12 Congressional Term. In the presidential election of the same day, its candidate Mario Estrada won 3.16% of the popular vote.

For the 2011 elections the party again nominated Mario Estrada as their presidential candidate, who this time received about 8.7% of the vote. The party was also able to increase its level of support at the simultaneous parliamentary elections, receiving about 9.5% of the national vote. After the elections the party largely supported the government of President Molina, thereby electing Sofía Jeaneth Hernández Herrer, whose parliamentary immunity was later lifted in 2017 due to accusations of influence peddling, as first Vice-President of Congress.[6][7]

Before the elections in 2015 the party once again nominated Mario Estrada as their presidential candidate, this time together with the vice-presidential candidate Roberto Díaz-Durán. The ticket ultimately lost some ground and got about 3.4% of the vote. The party fared better at the parliamentary elections, receiving about 8.8% of the national vote and returned 11 members to Congress.

Prior to the elections in 2019, the party tried to renominate their perennial presidential candidate Mario Estrada, but he was disqualified from seeking office by the Constitutional Court of Guatemala owing to an indictment for drug-trafficking charges.[8] Nonetheless, the party participated at the legislative elections and received approximately 5.4% of the vote and elected 12 members to Congress.

After multiple protests in May 2022, members of the party introduced a new police law, also known as Initiative 6076, to Congress.[9][10] According to the party the law seeks to modernize the police force in Guatemala. The law passed its first reading with 150 members of Congress voting in favor, before being shelved on 23 August 2022 due to the protest of 48 cantons.[9][11]

Ideology

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In US embassy cables describing the ideology of political parties in Guatemala, the UCN was described as "a small party based in eastern Guatemala reportedly tied to narcotraffickers" or simply as "narco".[12]

In April 2019, Mario Estrada was arrested. He is accused by the American authorities of having made a deal with the Sinaloa cartel - from which he allegedly obtained between 10 and 12 million dollars for his election campaign - and of having ordered the murder of rival candidates.[13]

On 19 January 2021 the mayor of Ocós and brother of Congresswomen Vivian Preciado Navarijo, Carlos Danilo Preciado Navarijo, was arrested on an Interpol notice for drug-trafficking in Panama.[14][15] In April 2021, both him and Estrada also appeared on a United States Department of State list of corrupt officials in Central America.[16]

Election results

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Congress of the Republic

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Election Votes % Seats +/– Status
2007 128,109 4.06 (#9)
5 / 158
   5 External support
2011 418,175 9.54 (#3)
14 / 158
   9 External support
2015 403,086 8.84 (#9)
7 / 158
   14 External support
2019 218,914 5.44 (#3)
12 / 160
   5 External support

President of the Republic of Guatemala

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Election Candidates First round Second round Status
President Vice President Votes % Votes %
2007 Mario Estrada Mario Torres Marroquín 103,695 3.16 (#6) - - Lost
2011 Mario Estrada Mauricio Urruela 387,001 8.69 (#4) - - Lost
2015 Mario Estrada Roberto Díaz-Durán 163,974 3.41 (#9) - - Lost
2019 Mario Estrada[a][8] Javier Castillo - - - - Disqualified

Notes

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  1. ^ Candidature revoked by the Constitutional Court of Guatemala, as he was accused of drug-trafficking and conspriring with the Sinaloa cartel.

References

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  1. ^ "TSE ratifica la cancelación de la UCN y notifica al partido". El Periódico (in Spanish). 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  2. ^ "TSE notifica cancelación del cuestionado partido UCN". La Hora (in Spanish). 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  3. ^ https://porquienvoto.org.gt/descargas/informe_partidos_politicos.pdf Page 70
  4. ^ Casalprim, Eva (July 2015). "Guatemala: Political parties" (PDF). European Parliament. European Parliamentary Research Service. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  5. ^ "En desafío a las sentencias judiciales, los líderes del Congreso guatemaltecos impulsan un proyecto de ley de amnistía". Washington Office on Latin America (in Spanish). October 2, 2019.
  6. ^ "Sofía Jeaneth Hernández Herrer". Congreso Visible (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  7. ^ Beltrán, Adriana (10 July 2020). "Behind the Fight to Hijack Guatemala's Justice System". Washington Office on Latin America. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  8. ^ a b Beltrán, Adriana; Hite, Adeline (12 June 2019). "Corruption in the Guatemalan Political System and the 2019 Elections". Washington Office on Latin America. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b Austen, Thorben (20 August 2022). "Tausende auf den Straßen von Guatemala". amerika21 (in German). Mondial21 e. V. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Dudas rondan a iniciativa que busca modificar uso de la fuerza de PNC y el Ejército". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 9 August 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Junta directiva del Congreso acuerda engavetar iniciativa 6076 que regula uso de fuerza pública en manifestaciones". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 23 August 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  12. ^ Graham, Ronan (1 September 2011). "Guatemala Political Party Branded 'Narco' by US: WikiLeaks". InSight Crime. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Guatemala. Un candidat à la présidentielle arrêté pour complot avec un cartel". Ouest-France.fr. April 18, 2019.
  14. ^ Sullivan, Shane (21 March 2021). "Familial Fiefdom: Ocós, Guatemala and the Preciado Navarijo Legacy". InSight Crime. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Carlos Preciado Navarijo, alcalde de Ocós, es detenido en Panamá por cargos de narcotráfico en Estados Unidos". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 20 January 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Report to Congress on Corrupt Officials in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador" (PDF). Department of State. April 2021.
 

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