Sandra Cuffe writes in Al Jazeera about the re-election (re-appointment?) of Attorney General Consuelo Porras. Guatemala’s controversial attorney general has started a second term, but Maria Consuelo Porras‘ last-minute reappointment this week has sparked widespread condemnation and new sanctions amid… Read More ›
Alejandro Giammettei
Guatemala’s Attorney General Elections: Judicial Independence and Democracy at a Crossroads
Ana María Méndez Dardón and Julia Aikman Cifuentes write in WOLA on the challenges facing an independent judiciary and the consequences for Guatemala’s commitment to fighting impunity when these are essential components of a democratic state. The persecution of independent… Read More ›
Guatemala: High Stakes for Attorney General’s Nomination
Human Rights Watch has posted a note regarding the nomination process for the election of the new Attorney General to succeed María Consuelo Porras. HRW has also highlighted the role of The Foundation against Terrorism (FCT) in trying to undermine… Read More ›
Crackdown on Guatemala Prosecutors Intensifies Amid Presidential Corruption Claims
Alex Papadovassilakis writes in InSight Crime on the continuing hollowing out of independent prosecutors who have been tackling the rampant corruption and impunity that is gripping Guatemala. With cries of corruption mounting against Guatemala’s president, the country’s Attorney General, Consuelo… Read More ›
Witness Accuses Guatemalan President of Funding Campaign with Construction Bribes
José Luis Sanz writes in El Faro about the sworn testimonies regarding bribery and campaign contributions relating to the election of President Alejandro Giammattei, and the attempts by the Attorney General’s office to put a brake to the investigations. It… Read More ›
Could Indigenous demonstrations against corruption lead to lasting change in Guatemala?
Eduardo Campos Lima wrote recently in America: The Jesuit Review about the increasingly active response to government and elite corruption especially as seen through Indigenous mobilisations. Interestingly, in presenting a ‘split’ in the opposition in, for example, town and country,… Read More ›
The Forced Exile
Juan Francisco Sandoval wrote a piece for the ‘Justice in the Americas’ blog of the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF). The blog contains versions in Spanish and in English. On March 5, 2003, I joined Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor’s Office… Read More ›
Alianza Por Las Reformas – letter to G13
The Alianza Por Las Reformas (Alliance For Reforms) is a coalition of 40 civil society organisations, diverse and democratic, which was formed in in 2017 to promote and advocate for different reforms necessary for a more just country. It brings… Read More ›
To The Public
The former head of FECI, Juan Francisco Sandoval released a statement, from exile, in which he responded to attacks from the Attorney General. The statement is above and any errors in translation are mine. To The Public: The Attorney General,… Read More ›
Guatemala’s Government Is Defying Biden’s Anti-Corruption Efforts
Jeff Abbott writes a column in The Progressive, The Other Americans, and this is from his latest piece. The Guatemalan government, helmed by President Alejandro Giammattei, continues to impede the country’s institutions meant to combat official corruption. While these attempts… Read More ›