Central America
Guatemalans demand resignation of attorney general
November 4 |
Thousands of Guatemalans, mostly Mayan indigenous, demanded this Friday in the streets the resignation of the attorney general, Consuelo Porras, whom they accuse of violating democracy by persecuting the elected president Bernardo Arévalo.
Carrying Guatemalan flags -blue and white- and signs demanding Porras’ resignation, a crowd protested in front of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Constitutional Court (highest judicial instance) and the Palace of Culture, former seat of government, in the capital.
The demonstrators traveled several kilometers on foot to reach these points, after starting from four entrances of Guatemala City to demand the departure of Porras, the prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche and the judge Fredy Orellana. All three are on a U.S. list of “corrupt” actors.
“We tell these corrupt people that we don’t want them anymore, their resignation has to be imminent and we will not take a step back” until we get them out, declared an activist who spoke over loudspeakers in front of the Prosecutor’s Office.
The protest took place one day after the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) disqualified Arevalo’s Semilla party, following an order issued by Judge Orellana in August for alleged irregularities in its registration. Another demonstration was called for this Saturday.
The party was disqualified on August 28 by the Registry of Citizens (electoral roll) by court order, which led Arevalo to denounce a “coup d’état” plan to prevent him from assuming power in January 2024.
However, the TSE temporarily lifted the disqualification on September 3 until the election process was formally completed on October 31.
The demonstration was called by indigenous groups and supported by other civil society entities and university students.
The peaceful march took place days after the end of two weeks of blockades of the country’s main highways, initiated on October 2 to demand the resignation of the three judicial officials.
Backed by the United States, the European Union, several governments and international organizations, the 65 year-old social democrat Arévalo considers that the three officials are an attack against democracy and seek to prevent him from assuming the presidency on January 14.
The crusade against Semilla was launched by Curruchiche after Arévalo was a surprise winner in the first round of elections on June 25 and went to the ballot on August 20, in which he obtained a wide victory with his promise to fight corruption, an endemic evil in the country.
Central America
Guatemala’s President to Hold Private Interviews for Attorney General Candidates
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León announced that he will privately interview the six candidates for attorney general this week, breaking with the public format used by former President Alejandro Giammattei.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday, Arévalo said the interviews would not be open to the public because he intends to question candidates about their plans to recover the Attorney General’s Office from what he described as “political-criminal networks.”
Under Guatemalan law, the president is responsible for appointing the country’s attorney general.
The position has been held since 2018 by Consuelo Porras, whose term is set to expire on May 16 after two consecutive terms marked by local and international allegations of corruption.
Arévalo is expected to select the new attorney general later this week from a shortlist recently submitted by a nomination commission.
The Guatemalan president has repeatedly criticized the Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming it has been compromised by corrupt political interests.
Central America
Guatemala Court Voids List of Candidates for Top Prosecutor Position
Constitutional Court of Guatemala on Thursday annulled the shortlist of six candidates for attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ordering authorities to repeat the evaluation phase of the selection process.
The ruling came in response to a legal appeal filed by Raúl Amílcar Falla Ovalle, who challenged the way professional experience had been assessed for some applicants, particularly those with careers in the judiciary.
As a result of the decision, the selection process has been suspended, and the Postulation Commission must return to the stage in which the original 48 applicants were evaluated.
According to the ruling, the commission must reapply the grading criteria without automatically counting years served as judges as equivalent to the professional experience required for the position.
“The Postulation Commission for the election of the Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is ordered to reassess the applicants by strictly applying the approved grading table,” the resolution states.
The Constitutional Court also stressed that the process must guarantee merit, competence, and suitability, while ensuring greater transparency in the assignment of scores.
Central America
U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme
The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.
Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.
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