#RenuciaYa
By Lesley Lopez
Over the summer crowds gathered outside the
presidential palace of Guatemala. The people in the
crowd were singing the national anthem, waving the
Guatemalan flag, and shouting “Renuncia Ya” (Resign
now). President Otto Perez Molina had been accused of
allowing importers to bribe tax authority officials to
obtain discounts on duties. The crowd was fighting for
his resignation. His actions were thought to be part of
an organized crime group called “La Linea,” which
was known for customs fraud and contraband.
On August 27th, many businesses and roads were
closed in support of the strike. Everyone in the country
was coming together to fight against the common enemy. In Guatemala the hashtag #YoNoTengoPresidente
(I don’t have a president) started to appear all over
social media. There was a massive demonstration at
the main plaza. Thousands of people, including students from important colleges, united at the main plaza. There were more than 100,000 people at the
demonstration chanting, carrying signs and flags. The
national anthem was sun