Guatemala - August 2024

The Special Prosecutor against Impunity has brought preliminary criminal proceedings against President Bernardo Arévalo for his alleged participation in a scheme in which the government allegedly made irregular payments to businesses for public works. According to the Special Prosecutor, Arévalo should be charged with abuse of authority and influence peddling. A member of Arévalo’s cabinet and Head of the Victims’ Institute, Ligia Hernandez, has been arrested in the context of a different investigation, one related to the alleged illicit financing of the now-suspended Seed Movement Party. Arevalo has denounced the prosecutions as politically motivated, which are widely regarded by both national and regional experts as part of the broader efforts by some domestic actors, including the Public Prosecutor’s office, to undermine the government and hamper its anti-corruption agenda. 

Sources: La Hora, Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias, CNN (1), Prensa Libre, CNN (2)