Uncertainty continues to mark the Guatemalan Olympic movement when its crisis seemed resolved, after the recommendations made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that led to new elections and new statutes in the National Olympic Committee.
The conflict could worsen, or not, according to what the Constitutional Court of Guatemala rules in the next few hours. The dispute has reached after the Electoral Court of Federated Sports (Tedefe) ignored the new GOC executive.
A decision by this highest court contrary to the Guatemalan Olympic Committee (GOC) and also against the position of the IOC, “could jeopardize the participation of Guatemalan athletes in the main competitions of the Olympic cycle,” a Central American expert from the Olympics told Around The Rings.
Likewise, the Central American Sports Games, from October 27 to November 13 in Costa Rica and Guatemala, could be under threat.
On March 24, the winning ticket of the repeated elections was that of Gerardo Aguirre, the president of the GOC in the last Olympic cycle. Aguirre received congratulations from the IOC, who sent two observers, Dominican Luis Mejía and the Argentine Mario Moccia to Guatemala.
The IOC had ignored the GOC Executive Board that had declared itself the winner in controversial elections last October due to what was considered “lack of transparency”, and suggested the GOC stop depending on an outside entity such as the Electoral Court of Sport Federated, according to statements by Aguirre published at the time by ATR.
In those elections, Aguirre was vetoed by Tedefe for alleged problems with resource management. According to the director, it was shown they were false accusations. The veto against Aguirre meant the list led by former soccer player Jorge Rodas was the only one that applied, and won with nine valid votes and 28 null votes, out of 37 accredited voters.
In a statement, Tedefe has affirmed it is the only legally constituted body that can declare the nullity of an electoral process in sport, and has challenged the new GOC executive and the IOC notifications. For his part, Rodas, according to local press reports, is formally requesting to be sworn in as the new president of the Guatemalan Olympic Committee instead of Aguirre.
The Guatemalan Olympic Committee announced criminal actions against Tedefe “for the possible commission of the crimes of Prolongation of Functions, abuse of authority and resolutions that violate the Constitution, among others.”
In the midst of this conflict, Aguirre and his Executive also received congratulations from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) “for their victory over an unfair system that tried to overthrow the democratic elections of their Olympic Committee.”
The message, signed by Susanne Lyons and Sarah Hirshland, President and Secretary General of the USOPC on April 19, adds: “We would like to congratulate you for your strength and resilience in ensuring that justice and the Olympic spirit prevail, for the good of sport in Guatemala and its athletes”.
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