GUATEMALA CITY.- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) began a five-day visit to Guatemala to monitor the “impact” of the “weakening” of the democracy in the country, fueled by controversial actions of the Prosecutor’s Office.
“The purpose of this visit is to observe the impacts of the process of weakening democratic institutions and judicial independence in the country since the last visit made” in 2017, the rapporteur of the IACHR for GuatemalaAndrea Pochak.
“This will be done with special attention to its impact on the rule of law, democratic institutions and the justice system, as well as the impact on corruption,” he added.
The mission arrived at the invitation of the government of the social democratic president Bernardo Arevaloin power since January, and is headed by the president of the IACHRRoberta Clarke.
During their visit, the delegation will meet with government officials, deputies, indigenous leaders, journalists and social activists, among others.
The group also plans to meet with “authorities” from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, although Pochak did not specify whether they will speak with the questioned Attorney General Consuelo Porras.
Sanctioned by the United States and the European Union (EU), Considered “corrupt” and “anti-democratic”, Porras is accused of initiating criminal proceedings against dozens of former justice officials who investigated high-profile corruption cases. Many of them are now in exile.
In June 2022, amid a wave of arrests of former anti-mafia prosecutors at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, the IACHR added to Guatemala on its blacklist of countries where it observes serious human rights violations, which also includes Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The inclusion occurred under the government of right-wing president Alejandro Giammattei (2020-2024), an ally of Porras.
Last Friday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, at the end of a visit to Guatemala, said he was concerned about the “persecution” against judicial officials, journalists and activists undertaken by Porras.
Türk also said he could “see President Arévalo’s firm commitment” to the “rule of law, democracy and human rights.”
The IACHR mission will hold a press conference on Friday to present “preliminary observations” of its visit.
Source: With information from AFP