Guatemala: after the dismissal of the prosecutor who investigated corruption in the government, they also sacked his replacement

The Attorney General of Guatemala, Consuelo Porras sacked Tuesday the head of the Special Prosecutor against Impunity (FECI), Clara Valenzuela, which only ten days ago had replaced Juan Francisco Sandoval in power, the main anti-corruption stronghold of the Central American country.

The withdrawal from Valenzuela was justified by the public prosecutor in a statement in which it is assured that the movement has been carried out to “guarantee an effective response to citizens” and to “ensure continuity in the effectiveness of the work carried out”.

The ephemeral post of Valenzuela within the FECI will be occupied by the one who, since the electoral process of 2019, headed the Prosecutor’s Office for Electoral Crimes, José Rafael Curruchiche Cucul, indicated by opponents of the government of political persecution.

In addition to the transfer of Curruchiche from one section prosecutor’s office to another, they were also appointed to the offices of environmental crimes, crimes against journalists and electoral crimes in Yoni Morales Chin, Edgar Rodenas Navarro and Ligia Alfaro Caravantes, respectively.

Clara Valenzuela, for her part, will return to take charge of the Special Methods Unit of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, position she held until the criticized dismissal of Sandoval.

The Guatemalan Human Rights Ombudsman, Jordan Rodas, he assured in a statement on social networks that Consuelo Porras “does not tolerate independent prosecutors in their role, prefers them to be submissive, thus undermining the judicial system and increasing national and international mistrust in the fight against corruption and impunity”.

Since Sandoval’s dismissal on Friday July 23, the population has expressed its discontent by considering him a necessary bishop against corruption in Guatemala, and even organized channels demonstrations on the public highway, including a national strike last Thursday inside the country coordinated by indigenous sectors which they called for the resignation of the president, Alejandro Giammattei and de Porras.

Sandoval, who was awarded in February as one of the “anti-corruption heroes” by the US State Department, had warned the agency since last March. EFE that the country risks a “dictatorship” because of non-compliance with judicial decisions.

The 38-year-old prosecutor was a key part of the fight against corruption in Guatemala which reached its peak between 2014 and 2019 at the hands of the then chief prosecutor, Thelma aldana, and the director of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (Cicig), the Colombian lawyer Ivan Velasquez.

Investigations commissioned by Sandoval, Aldana and Velásquez They uncovered dozens of cases of state corruption, indicting more than 200 people including ministers, civil servants, businessmen but also former presidents Otto Pérez Molina (2012-2015) and Álvaro Colom Caballeros (2008- 2012).

This year, without Aldana and Velásquez, the prosecutor said he was not alone in the fight against impunity in Guatemala because he has the support of “society and the international community”.

However, He said he was increasingly concerned about the advancement of groups he faced with Cicig and that they have given in to stop obeying resolutions when they are not favorable to their interests.

According to an evening newspaper survey Time, The decision to impeach Sandoval was a request by President Giammattei, to the Attorney General, for possible FECI investigations against the sovereign.

Faced with national and international pressure, Sandoval on Monday asked Guatemala’s Supreme Court of Justice to overturn his departure. arguing that it was illegal.

Claudia González, his lawyer, filed an amparo before the highest court on the grounds that the decision to dismiss him violates the career rights of the prosecutor, legal certainty, due process and the principle of legality not to have dismissed him with a just cause or to have taken the measures of the law in labor matters.

Joe Biden’s administration noted that Sandoval removal highlights Giammattei government’s “lack of commitment” in the fight against corruption, one of the pillars of Washington’s new immigration strategy, which aims to improve living conditions in Central America in order to put an end to the constant flow of migrants.

Therefore, after learning of Sandoval’s departure, the United States announced that temporarily suspend security cooperation between the two countries.

(With information from EFE)

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