Rights Action have reposted a piece by Alex Papadovassilakis that was originally published in InSight Crime. The piece presents a further view on the corruption of the Guatemalan judiciary, starting at the very top, and how it continues to hamper… Read More ›
Alex Papadovassilakis
Vamos: The Fight to Stay in the Game
Alex Papadovassilakis writes in InSight Crime on President Alejandro Giammattei, who is soon to see his term come to an end, if the ramos, the political party or, more correctly, the political bloc, which has effectively wielded power and favour… Read More ›
The Jungle Patrol: Fighting Illegal Loggers on the Guatemala-Mexico Border
Alejandro Melgoza and Alex Papadovassilakis present an important and fascinating report, on InSight Crime, into how a shadowy timber mafia, with ties to Asia, is illegally extracting precious wood on the Guatemala-Mexico border. They document how illegal loggers have ravaged… 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 ›
Fugitive Guatemala Minister Surrenders Amid Attacks on Justice System
Alex Papadovassilakis writes in InSight Crime on the ‘spontaneous’ and ‘voluntary’ surrender of a high level fugitive, more than a year after he was charged with money laundering. A minister in the government of Jimmy Morales, he is wanted in… Read More ›
Social Insecurity: The Case of IGSS-Pisa in Guatemala
Alex Papadovassilakis wrote up, recently, in InSight Crime, his investigation into serious levels of corruption into Guatemala’s social security system. The levels of corruption amongst the elites in Guatemala continue to stagger. It’s like the word ‘enough’ does not exist… Read More ›
A Blend of Family and Politics in Guatemala’s Cocaine Trade
Alex Papadovassilakis writes in InSight Crime about the nexus of family, politics and criminal activity that occurs in some of Guatemala’s more isolated regions. This, against a backdrop of the criminalisation of human rights defenders and the facilitation of top-level… Read More ›
Despite Outrage, Guatemala Continues to Bulldoze Anti-Corruption Edifice
Alex Papadovassilakis writes in InSight Crime on the sacking of Juan Francisco Sandoval last week from his post as head of FECI, Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity, and after-shocks. The dismissal of Juan Francisco Sandoval, the country’s leading anti-corruption prosecutor,… Read More ›
Washington Cracks Down on Guatemala Corruption
US sanctions on two Guatemalan politicians — one a political operator and the other an influential legislator — are the latest salvo by Washington to show it is serious about taking on corruption in Central America. Alex Papadovassilakis writes in… Read More ›
Guatemala Cross-Border Crime and Corruption Investigation
InSight Crime made a presentation recently regarding an investigation into cross-border crime and corruption in Guatemala. Drug trafficking has been reconfigured in Guatemala. The large clans that traditionally dominated the business have broken up. Now the main actors are small… Read More ›