OAS questions rector's second term at Guatemala's state university

The Organization of American States (OAS) Special Mission in Guatemala has raised serious concerns regarding the second term of Walter Mazariegos as rector of the University of San Carlos (USAC). The mission stated that Mazariegos's assumption of office does not resolve fundamental doubts about the legality and legitimacy of a reelection process that has faced widespread criticism.

The crisis at USAC extends beyond academia due to its significant constitutional role. As Guatemala's sole public university, USAC plays a crucial part in the "second-degree elections," a mechanism that empowers the institution to directly appoint key representatives to high courts and oversight bodies. These include the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the Attorney General's Office, and the General Comptroller's Office, many of which are undergoing renewal processes in 2026.

Mazariegos's inauguration took place during a virtual session of the University's Superior Council. Simultaneously, the central campus saw intense disturbances and confrontations between student groups opposing and supporting the rector. The OAS Special Mission, deployed in late 2025 at the request of the Guatemalan government, aims to support democratic institutions and ensure the integrity of processes for renewing high courts and oversight bodies.

The OAS highlighted that Mazariegos's reelection has been marred by arbitrary exclusions of voters, pending legal actions, and criminal complaints that erode public trust. "The assumption of office does not close an unresolved institutional controversy, nor can it be interpreted as automatic validation of a process whose integrity continues to be seriously questioned by broad sectors of the university community and Guatemalan society," the mission stated. The OAS urgently called on Guatemalan judicial and oversight authorities to resolve pending legal actions independently, emphasizing that the legal consequences of alleged irregularities are not nullified by a simple resumption of the rector's duties.