Statement On The Reappointment Of Guatemalan Attorney General Maria Consuelo Porras

Many hoped that President Giammattei would keep his word and reject the corruption and impunity that his predecessors institutionalized.  The reappointment of Attorney General Porras, who according to the State Department has “repeatedly obstructed and undermined anti-corruption investigations,” shows that nothing has changed. 

Democracy cannot survive without an independent judiciary, which Attorney General Porras has sought to dismantle by abusing her authority to persecute prosecutors and judges who stood up for the principle that no one is above the law.  As long as this continues, Guatemala’s government is not a serious partner of the United States.