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Guatemala’s president has appointed the controversial legal professional basic to a second time period in a transfer disappointing to many Guatemalans and overseas governments crucial of her backsliding on corruption investigations
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala’s president appointed the controversial legal professional basic to a second time period Monday in a transfer disappointing to many Guatemalans and overseas governments crucial of her backsliding on corruption investigations.
President Alejandro Giammattei stated Consuelo Porras deserved one other 4 years main the workplace.
“I’m satisfied that the Legal professional Basic’s Workplace should be an impartial establishment,” the president stated, including that the method of her choice was clear.
“It’s a sovereign determination,” he added, in obvious reference to worldwide strain.
Earlier Monday, Porras, 68, defended her file throughout her annual report. She stated that underneath her management the workplace had enforced the nation’s legal guidelines and sought justice for all with out exceptions.
Porras was initially appointed in 2018 by then President Jimmy Morales. That is the primary time Guatemala has given its high prosecutor a second consecutive time period.
In August 2019, a bit greater than a yr after Porras’ appointment, Morales ended the United Nations anti-corruption mission whereas he was underneath investigation. Porras, no less than publicly, didn’t push again in protection of the mission.
Throughout her time period, greater than 20 prosecutors, judges and magistrates have gone into exile, fearful they are going to be prosecuted in retaliation for his or her work on corruption circumstances.
Final yr, she fired Juan Francisco Sandoval, who led the Particular Prosecutors Workplace Towards Impunity and who had been applauded for his work. He fled the nation.
The U.S. authorities protested publicly, labelled Porras an undemocratic actor undermining efforts in opposition to corruption and pulled her visa. A State Division official stated on the time that Sandoval’s elimination “contributes to the notion that there’s a systematic effort in Guatemala to weaken those that battle in opposition to corruption.”
On Monday, Porras described her workplace’s work in opposition to corruption as precedent-setting, however provided no clarification on how.
Porras has been a frequent goal of road protests in current months expressing a basic dissatisfaction with the federal government and calling for her ouster.
Final month, Human Rights Watch stated in a press release that Porras had “undermined investigations into corruption and human rights abuses, and introduced arbitrary felony proceedings in opposition to journalists, judges, and prosecutors.”
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