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Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Commissioner Andrea Pochak (center) speaks during a press conference in Guatemala City on July 22, 2024. Photo: JOHAN ORDÓNEZ/AFP
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) began this Monday a five-day visit to Guatemala to monitor the “impact” of the “weakening” of democracy in the country caused by the controversial actions of the prosecutor’s office.
“The purpose of this visit is to observe the impact of the process of weakening democratic institutions and judicial independence in the country since the last visit in 2017,” Andrea Pochak, the IACHR’s Guatemala rapporteur, told the media.
He added: “This is with particular attention to its impact on the rule of law, the state of democratic institutions and the justice administration system, as well as its impact on corruption.”
The delegation arrived at the invitation of the Social Democratic government of President Bernardo Arevalo, in power since January, and was led by Roberta Clark, president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
During the visit, the delegation will meet with government authorities, representatives, indigenous leaders, journalists and social activists.
The group also plans to meet with “authorities” from the Public Ministry (the prosecutor’s office), although Pochac did not specify whether they would speak to the Attorney General in question, Consuelo Porras.
Porras, who is under sanctions from the United States and the European Union for being “corrupt” and “undemocratic,” has been accused of pursuing criminal prosecutions against dozens of former judicial officials investigating high-profile corruption cases. Many of them are now in exile.
In June 2022, amid a wave of requests by the prosecutor’s office for the arrest of a former anti-mafia prosecutor, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights added Guatemala to its blacklist of countries where serious human rights violations have been observed, which also includes Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The inclusion came under the government of Porras’ ally, right-wing President Alejandro Giammattei (2020-2024).
On Friday, at the end of a visit to Guatemala, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was concerned about what he called Porras’ “persecution” of judicial officials, journalists and activists.
Furthermore, Türk said he could “see a strong commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights” with President Arevalo.
The IACHR delegation will hold a press conference on Friday to present the “preliminary observations” of its visit.
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