Guatemalan president refuses renewal for U.N. anti-graft body
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales announced Friday that he is shutting down a crusading U.N.-sponsored anti-graft commission that pressed a number of highprofile corruption probes, including one pending against the president himself over purported illicit campaign financing.
Speaking in front of a host of mostly military and police leaders, Morales said he had informed the U.N. secretary-general of his decision not to renew the body’s mandate and “immediately” begin transferring its capacities to Guatemalan institutions. The government later clarified in a statement that the commission will remain in the country through the end of its current twoyear term, which ends Sept. 3, 2019, during the transition period.
“It was respectfully requested of the United Nations that the commission initiate the transfer,” the statement read, adding that the commission “will have a year to complete this objective contemplated in its mandate.”
Minutes before the surprise announcement, U.S.donated army vehicles that Guatemala uses to fight drug and other smuggling were deployed to the commission’s headquarters in the capital in what critics called an attempt at intimidation.
The decision caps a long history of friction between the president and the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, or CICIG for its initials in Spanish. In August 2017, Morales announced that he was expelling the commission’s chief, Ivan Velasquez, but that move was blocked by Guatemala’s top court.
Morales’ announcement was promptly met with criticism from human rights officials and advocates.
“We sincerely regret the great mistake that the president made public in not renewing CICIG’s mandate,” Guatemalan human rights prosecutor Jordan Rodas said. “We are grateful for its valuable contribution in the country to the fight against corruption and impunity.”
Morales is suspected of receiving at least $1 million in undeclared contributions during the 2015 campaign. He has denied wrongdoing.
Last week the Supreme Court allowed a request brought by CICIG and Guatemalan prosecutors to strip his immunity from prosecution to go to Congress for consideration. If 105 lawmakers vote in favor, it could open him up to investigation for possible illicit campaign financing.