Constitutional Court orders Interior Minister to secure Usac before Walter Mazariegos' inauguration

Guatemala's Constitutional Court has ordered the Interior Ministry to bolster security at the central campus of the San Carlos University (Usac). The directive, issued on June 30, 2026, aims to maintain surveillance and control around the university perimeter ahead of the controversial inauguration of Walter Mazariegos as rector.

Mazariegos' re-election has been widely questioned, particularly because the University's Superior Council, which has a majority aligned with him, excluded electoral bodies from the process. Several legal challenges related to this election are still pending, including some before the Constitutional Court itself. The court's decision to grant a provisional injunction to Usac was made while it considers the full merits of the constitutional action.

The Usac's legal team based its request on the potential for confrontation between groups with vested interests during the planned university activities. The Constitutional Court acknowledged these concerns, citing Article 28 of the Law of Amparo, Personal Exhibition, and Constitutionality. The case has been forwarded to the Supreme Court, acting as an Amparo Court, for further processing and verification of legal compliance.

The ruling was approved by the court's president, Anabella Morfín, and magistrates Dina Ochoa and Julia Rivera, with alternate magistrate Luis Rosales voting in favor. Magistrate Astrid Lemus dissented. The court's intervention underscores the deep divisions and legal battles surrounding the leadership of Guatemala's largest public university.