His High Commissioner UN for human rights Volker Turk stressed yesterday Friday that democracy in Guatemala “remains at risk,” even though President Bernardo Arevalo took office earlier this year after a crisis sparked by his unexpected victory in August’s election.

Guatemala last year experienced one of the most tense electoral processes in recent years, after the Prosecutor’s Office tried to annul the results and prevent Arevalo from being sworn in.

“A human rights defender I met told me: democracy remains at risk, we must do whatever is necessary to change the status quo. I completely agree with this assessment,” Turk said at a press conference in the Guatemalan capital, concluding his visit to the country.

During his stay in Guatemala, Turk met with President Arevalo, representatives of civil society, indigenous leaders and businessmen, underlining that it is a “priority” to support the effort to strengthen the democratic system in Guatemala.

“For a state to function, the three powers must work harmoniously. Currently, this is not the case. The polarization between institutions is huge,” he added, amid intense conflicts between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government in Guatemala.

Since assuming the presidency in January, Arevalo has lost several battles in Congress, where he has the support of just 23 out of 160 members.