Page 12 - AT

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 3 sepTember 2019
As UN body wraps up in Guatemala, fears for anti-graft fight

By SONIA PÉREZ D. sation was obtained and
Associated Press another $100 million are in
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — process of seizure from just
For over a decade, the two of the commission’s
work of the International 120 cases.
Commission against Impu- Polling this year by the com-
nity in Guatemala brought pany Pro Datos showed
the Central American na- over two-thirds of Guate-
tion hope that corruption malans backed Cicig’s
could be fought. Now, as performance and a similar
the end of its mandate percentage were critical of
nears, many fear a setback Morales.
in the fight against impu- For former chief prosecu-
nity. tor Claudia Paz y Paz, Cicig
The U.N. commission known “lifted the veil on the work-
as Cicig for its initials in ings of an entire system that
Spanish, which brought has the state co-opted. ...
to trial three ex-presidents The major legacy of Cicig is
and hundreds of business- consciousness of how those
people, officials, judges networks function, how
and civilians accused of stagnation, poverty, exclu-
corruption, will shut down sion and violence are not
Sept. 3 after the govern- accidental in the country.”
ment of President Jimmy But Max Quirín, a business-
Morales decided not to re- man who was convicted
new its mandate. of corruption and then
Guatemalans fear the end In this Sept. 14, 2017 file photo, Ivan Velasquez, commissioner of the United Nations International absolved by the appeals
of its work may abandon Commission Against Impunity, CICIG, pauses during an interview, in Guatemala City. court, sees Cicig differently.
legal cases in process, Associated Press In a public letter he said
weaken the anti-immunity a Commission against Cor- And although chief pros- lifted to investigate him for that “it is also appropriate
prosecutor’s office that in- ruption with financial sup- ecutor Consuelo Porras alleged illicit electoral fi- to remember the great
vestigated hand-in-hand port from the United States. has offered to bolster the nancing. number of abuses that it
with Cicig and result in The co-optation of the ju- anti-impunity branch, few But Congress protected committed, the transgres-
those accused seeking re- diciary by the executive, have faith in her words. him, and the president sions against the legal
venge. according to analysts, can Porras decided not to hire avoided investigation. framework that they vio-
Miguel Ángel Gálvez, the be seen in the decisions of any Guatemalan who has Morales decided then not lated and the perverse ac-
judge who tried and im- the judges of an appellate worked with Cicig, depriv- to renew Cicig’s mandate, tions that they led for politi-
prisoned former President court that has been ques- ing the agency of their alleging that it had over- cal and personal ends.”
Otto Pérez Molina in 2015, is tioned over its rulings in fa- deep knowledge of the reached in its actions, and Award-winning activist
aware of that fear. vor of people accused of cases. declared Colombian law- Helen Mack recalled that
“I believe we have already corruption. Porras was picked for the yer Iván Velásquez, the attacks against human
taken a big step back” with The court reversed a sepa- position of top prosecutor commission’s chief, perso- rights activists, judicial offi-
Cicig’s exit from the coun- rate tribunal’s convictions by Morales. na non grata. He also de- cials and journalists that fol-
try, Gálvez told The Associ- of businesspeople and of- Attacks against anti-impu- nied visas and work permits lowed the 1960-1996 Gua-
ated Press. “Without prose- ficials accused in one of nity prosecutors are anoth- to international employ- temalan civil war prompt-
cutors who know the cases, the most important cases er fear of activists. ees of Cicig and withdrew ed then-President Oscar
what is going to happen?” investigated by Cicig and Eleonora Muralles, an ac- government personnel Berger (2004-2008) to turn
He warned that in the inves- prosecutors: irregularities in tivist the group Pro-Justice and other support. He tried to the U.N. for help.
tigations “where sentenc- the purchase of medicine Movement, said there is unsuccessfully to unilater- In 2007 the government
ing is already being passed for the social security sys- fear that the accused will ally bring an end to Cicig’s signed the agreement
it has happened like this, tem. seek revenge. mandate in January 2019, which was later ratified by
the cases are crumbling.” The same court also pro- “We saw all that was invest- but a ruling by the Constitu- Congress for the installation
A sign of that fear is the re- tected the late Guatema- ed in the effort to annul this tional Court allowed Cicig of Cicig in the country, and
cent absolution of the son la City Mayor Álvaro Arzú commission and to annul to continue operating. it was renewed by three
and brother of President from being investigated for cases. It creates a certain Velásquez had a differ- governments.
Morales, accused of em- alleged corruption. fear that they could try to ent fate, as Morales finally In his concluding speech,
bezzlement and money One judge on that court, repress activists, operators blocked his entry into the Velásquez said the commis-
laundering for purportedly Beyla Estrada, is married to of justice and journalists country. sion’s work allowed people
falsifying invoices and fak- Morales’ spokesman. with the intention of revers- During its tenure Cicig has to see “the links between
ing a bidding to get their But the biggest case in- ing everything,” Muralles broken up 70 criminal net- politics and corruption and
hands on government vestigated by Cicig and said. works and resulted in pros- between money launder-
funds. Although the son prosecutors, known as “The Gálvez said threats against ecution of 670 people, of ing and politics; the rela-
confessed, he was acquit- Line,” which landed Pérez judges have increased. whom 70% have a substi- tionships between judges
ted. Molina, then-Vice President The tension between Cicig tute prison measure. and lawyers in practices of
Morales has less than five Roxana Baldetti and nearly and Morales began in Some 400 sentences have impunity; networks of drug
months left in office and his the entire Cabinet behind January 2017 following the been handed down, there trafficking and local gov-
successor, President-elect bars over customs fraud, accusations against his were around 100 requests ernment; businesspeople
Alejandro Giammattei, has still has not been tried and son and brother, and wors- to lift immunity of public illicitly financing political
not shown interest in asking the fear is it could be sus- ened shortly after midway officials and 30 legal initia- campaigns and receiving
the United Nations to inter- pended due to a lack of through that year when the tives were promoted. the benefits of state con-
vene again, although he backing from the U.N. com- commission sought to have In the financial area, at tracts; and, in every case,
announced the creation of mission. Morales’ immunity of office least $60 million in compen- distorting democracy.”q