• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > Guatemala

Guatemala Forces UN-backed Anti-graft Body Out, UN Protests

  • Guatemalans participate in a march against president Morales on Sept. 20.

    Guatemalans participate in a march against president Morales on Sept. 20. | Photo: Reuters

Published 7 January 2019
Opinion

The United Nations hoped Guatemala will "respect its international commitment to guarantee the protection of international and national staff" employed at Cicig.

Guatemala's Foreign Minister announced Monday that the government had reached an agreement with the United Nations-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) after meeting UN Secretary Antonio Gutierrez.

RELATED:
Guatemala Gov't Bows to Pressure, Renews Visas of Officials from UN Anti-Graft Body

In a press conference, Minister Sandra Jovel told reporters that Cicig officials were given a 24-hour delay to leave the country and terminate their anti-corruption mandate.

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales later ratified the decision. 

Jovel added that the Cicig officials will be transferring their competencies to national institutions.

Gutierrez rejected the decision, adding that the United Nations hoped Guatemala will "respect its international commitment to guarantee the protection of international and national staff" employed at Cicig.

According to local reports, the United Nations is the only entity entitled to terminate the cooperation with Guatemala in three cases: if Guatemala stops cooperating fully with Cicig and puts obstacles to its activities; if Guatemala does not implement the legislative measures supposed to eradicate the illegal security bodies during the Cicig mandate; if the international community fails to provide financial support.

CICIG was established over a decade ago with the authority to conduct independent investigations and work with the country’s prosecutors. It has often clashed with Morales, whose National Convergence Front is close to military officers responsible for many human rights' violations during the country’s civil war.

The CICIG brought down Morales’ predecessor, Otto Perez, with a corruption probe and sought to prosecute Morales over illegal financing allegations.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.