方恩格快評》臺灣對瓜地馬拉局勢的沉默

瓜地馬拉總統候選人阿雷瓦洛週二（27日）表示，如果他獲勝，他將尋求與中國建立更密切的關係。圖爲一名男子正在販售瓜地馬拉國旗。（新華社）

今年稍早，蔡英文總統稱她對瓜地馬拉的訪問是「堅定捍衛自由和民主」所必須的，總統府發言人林聿禪稱瓜地馬拉總統賈麥岱對臺灣的訪問是「加強我們共同努力實現全球民主復原力」。儘管國際社會已經對賈麥岱領導下瓜地馬拉缺乏民主表示擔憂，國際人權組織也批評了瓜地馬拉6月25日總統選舉中幾名反對派候選人被禁的情況，美國也已經批評了法治的惡化和對記者的迫害。

在6月25日的總統選舉中，曾反對賈麥岱總統等腐敗精英的「種子黨」候選人阿雷瓦洛出人意料地進入了8月20日舉行的第二輪選舉。此後，賈麥岱總統的政府採取了各種「法律手段」，爲取消阿雷瓦洛的資格尋找法律依據。

美國國務院於7月2日發表了一份題爲「瓜地馬拉選舉受到干擾」的聲明，並於7月13日發表了另一份題爲「瓜地馬拉選舉的完整性和可信度受到持續威脅」的聲明。7月19日，美國國務院宣佈對10名瓜地馬拉現任和前任官員實施制裁，罪名是腐敗和破壞民主進程。7月22日，美洲國家組織選舉觀察團發表聲明，譴責賈麥岱政府的政治迫害。

媒體向外交部詢問臺灣對賈麥岱政府幹預選舉的立場。該部聲稱，「外交部尊重瓜地馬拉司法和選舉程序的運作，以及瓜地馬拉人民按照民主程序產生的選舉結果。」臺灣政府不願批評其好朋友賈麥岱總統。

奇怪的是，這意味着執政的民進黨支持保守派總統賈麥岱，而賈麥岱的價值觀普遍不同，這是爲了確保進步派「種子黨」不會贏得選舉並與大陸斷交。

在宏都拉斯，臺灣一再讚揚與前總統葉南德茲的關係，儘管他已經因販毒和其他罪行而受到調查。因此，當葉南德茲的政敵、總統卡蕬楚想起臺灣對他的友好並終止與臺灣的外交關係時，也就不足爲奇了。

民主國家對賈麥岱政府的行爲感到厭惡，但臺灣並沒有批評他。臺灣的動機可以理解，但卻讓臺灣站在了瓜地馬拉民主發展的錯誤一邊，並增加了阿雷瓦洛如果贏得第二輪選舉，他將終止與臺灣關係的可能性。

Taiwan’s Silence About the Situation in Guatemala

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad

Twitter: @RossFeingold

Earlier this year, President Tsai Ing-wen described her visit to Guatemala as necessary to “stand firm in defense of freedom and democracy”, and Presidential Office Spokesperson Olivia Lin described President Alejandro Giammattei’s visit to Taiwan as “bolstering our joint efforts toward global democratic resilience”. This was despite the international community having already expressed concern about the lack of democracy under Giammattei, international human rights organizations having criticized the ban of several opposition candidates in Guatemala’s presidential election on June 25, and the United States having already criticized the deterioration of the rule of law and the persecution of journalists.

In the presidential election on June 25, Bernardo Arevalo, the candidate of the Movimiento Semilla or Seed Movement who had campaigned against corrupt elite like President Giammattei, surprisingly advanced to the second round to be held on August 20. President Giammattei’s government has since engaged in all types of “lawfare” to find a legal basis to disqualify Arevalo.

The State Department issued a statement on July 2 titled Election Interference in Guatemala and issued another statement on July 13 titled “Continued Threats to the Integrity and Credibility of Guatemala’s Election”. On July 19, the State Department announced sanctions on ten current and former Guatemalan officials for corruption as well as undermining democratic processes. On July 22 the Organization of American States Electoral Observer Mission issued a statement to condemn political persecution by President Giammattei’s government.

The China Times inquired with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Taiwan’s position on election interference by President Giammattei’s government. The ministry told us “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs respects the operations of Guatemala’s judicial and election processes, and the election result produced by the Guatemalan people in accordance with democratic procedures”.

The Taiwan government is reluctant to criticize its good friend President Giammattei.

Oddly, this means the ruling Democratic Progressive Party supports the conservative President Giammattei who generally does not share the same values, and does in order to ensure that the progressive Semilla does not win the election and switch diplomatic relations to the mainland.

In Honduras, Taiwan repeatedly praised its relationship with former President Juan Orlando Hernández even though he was already under investigation for drug trafficking and other crimes. Thus, it came as no surprise when President Xiomara Castro, a political enemy of Hernández, remembered Taiwan’s friendliness with him and terminated diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Democratic countries are disgusted by the actions of President Giammattei’s government, but Taiwan does not criticize him. Taiwan’s motivation is understandable, but it puts Taiwan on the wrong side of democracy development in Guatemala, and increases the likelihood that if Arevalo wins the second round, he will terminate relations with Taiwan.

※以上言論不代表旺中媒體集團立場※