Reported incidents of violence were primarily aimed at citizens; that is, Guatemalans who were not candidates, officials, or dedicated party supporters (sympathizers).
Economic violence reported by observers indicated that men were more often targeted by property damage, but that men and women were similarly targeted for other forms of economic violence such as bribery and economic coercion.
Likewise, reported incidents of psychological violence, in particular slander and defamation, were more likely to target men, who were more likely to be running for high-profile local posts, such as mayoral positions.
Men were more likely to be targeted by physical violence than women; this may be because men were more likely to be running for high-profile positions.
Guatemalan law prohibits the sexual exhibition of persons to draw attention to a campaign or political party event. Of incidents of this violence that were reported, women were most likely to be exhibited in this way.
The social benefit programs that had the highest number of reported incidents of coercion also also had the highest percentages of women enrolled, indicating that women were disproportionately impacted by coercion.
An area of concern prioritized in the observation was coercion of voters through social benefit programs. Of the incidents of coercion reported, the programs “Bono Seguro” and “Bolsa Segura” were the most likely to be targeted.
An area of concern prioritized in the observation was coercion of voters through social benefit programs. Of the incidents of coercion reported, the programs “Bono Seguro” and “Bolsa Segura” were the most likely to be targeted.
Overall, most reported incidents of violence were economic (36%), threats and coercion (30%) or psychological (28%).
Regarding violence in or around polling stations, PACE did not receive reports of any significant incidents of election violence or VAW-E. Only 1% of reports received from observers indicated that there had been intimidation or harassment near the polling station at which they were stationed.
Overall PACE received very few reports of incidents of violence on election day. Of the total observer reports received, for example only 3% indicated that there had been any interference such as harassment or intimidation during the vote count.
80% of the voters interviewed by PACE observers reported that voters felt free to cast a vote for the candidate or party they preferred, but women were less likely to say that voters felt free to do so, and more likely to report that they were unsure.
Similarly, voters interviewed as part of PACE’s observation reported that they felt free to attend campaign events, though women were less likely to indicate that voters felt free to do so, and more likely to report that they were unsure.
In the interviews conducted by volunteers, candidates overwhelmingly reported that they did not face problems campaigning. However, women were slightly less likely than men to report that they had no problems.
Likewise, in the interviews conducted by PACE volunteers, most interviewees indicated that they did not think voters faced any problems that would result from their vote for a certain political party.
In monitoring the voter registration process, PACE observers recorded almost no incidents of violence: 98% of the reports submitted by observers, for example reported no incidents of intimidation.
Male office agents were the most frequent victims of the incidents of psychological violence recorded on election day. Women voters, however, were more likely than male voters to be targeted by violent incidents.
As with economic violence, reported incidents of violence showed that women were targeted by psychological violence as part of mixed-gender groups.
Very few incidents of psychological violence occurred -- but where they did, women were more likely to be perpetrators, with little difference in who was targeted.
Women acting alone were a small percentage of the perpetrators of observed incidents of unspecified pre-election violence. Most perpetrators were in mixed-gender groups.
There were very few observed incidents of economic violence in the pre-electoral period. This violence included property damage, for example of campaign materials. Most victims of this violence were men.
Women acting alone were a small percentage of the perpetrators of observed incidents of unspecified pre-election violence. Most perpetrators were in mixed-gender groups.
In observed incidents of unspecified violence or aggression, women were 33% of the victims. Most observed incidents that were reported had both male and female victims (44%).
