When things begin to derail in Guatemala, the locals like to say the country has gone from Guatemala to “Guatepeor” — or, mala, bad, to peor, worse. And the famous maxim is fitting when it comes to the latest crisis in the Central American country’s judicial system, in which judges leading high-profile anti-corruption cases have been forced to flee the country after reports of persecution.
The scandal concerns pressure placed on members of a high-profile anti-corruption task force, who are being leaned on not only by influential criminal networks but also by the Guatemalan justice system and Prosecutor General Consuelo Porras, who has used her power to stymie investigations into white-collar crime.
Following a heightened onslaught in 2022, at least 15 members of the Guatemalan justice system have fled the country — mostly to the U.S. — while many others are facing resignation or a spell behind bars.
The purge has attracted the attention of the international community. At the end of last month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres showed “concern” about the legal action against Guatemalan prosecutors and judges “who played a prominent role in anti-impunity efforts.” Mr. Guterres recalled the “contribution” of these legal professionals, promising independent investigations. The U.S Department of State decried the “politically motivated arrests and detentions of...
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