Carolina Jiménez Sandoval and Isabel Carlota Roby write in El Faro English about the detention and conviction of Guatemalan public prosecutor Virginia Laparra after she alleged corruption within the judiciary. They describe the misogynistic treatment they received as female visitors to the prison as being reflective of the outdated and discriminatory structures that led to Virginia’s detention. They were told that they had to wear skirts if they wanted to visit Virginia at the Matamoros military prison.
Over a year has passed since Guatemalan public prosecutor Virginia Laparra was arbitrarily detained after filing administrative complaints against Judge Lesther Castellanos alleging acts of corruption within the Judiciary. It is no coincidence that she was initially held alongside four other prosecutors and anti-corruption lawyers — all of them female. Her four-year sentence was reaffirmed today, May 9.
Virginia’s detention and subsequent conviction in an irregular trial reflect a broader and disquieting trend of weaponizing the justice system against human rights defenders, journalists, and justice officials themselves under the administration of Alejandro Giammattei. As many as 35 justice operators from Guatemala have fled the country under this and previous governments. 17 of them are living in exile in the United States.
That this should take place ahead of the country’s presidential elections, the first round of which is to be held in June, is of even graver concern.
You can read the full piece, with links, here, Four-Year Sentence of Anti-Corruption Leader Deals a Blow to Guatemalan Democracy.
Categories: Accompaniment, Corruption, Criminalisation, Gender, Guatemala, Human Rights, Impunity, Justice, Presidential Elections, Solidarity in Action, Solidarity in Action/Guatemala, Violence
Guatemala Solidarity Network 
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