Vatican City
Corruption trial: A blockbuster corruption trial involving an ex-cardinal, London financiers, and Holy
See officials got underway at the Vatican this week. Angelo Becciu—a former cardinal and ally of Pope Francis—and nine other defendants have been charged with fraud and embezzlement, principally for their role in a flawed $412 million London real estate venture financed by church funds earmarked for charity. The investment incurred huge losses. One of the defendants, Cecilia Marogna—hired by Becciu as a security consultant—allegedly bought Prada and Louis Vuitton items with church money that was supposed to be used to free Catholic hostages. Becciu, 73, and Marogna, 40, deny all wrongdoing.
Pope Francis personally approved the indictment as part of his promise to bring transparency to the Vatican’s finances. The prosecution’s case suggests that the pope and other top officials knew of, and signed off on, some of the key transactions.
Porto Alabe, Italy
Island inferno: Wildfires ripped through forests, fields, and villages in western Sardinia this week, forcing the evacuation of about 1,000 residents and tourists on the Italian island. “It is a disaster without precedent,” said regional governor Christian Solinas, who declared a state of emergency. The fires burned through the popular beachside town of Porto Alabe, destroyed a 1,000-year-old olive tree in the village of Cuglieri, and killed hundreds of farm animals trapped in barns. Authorities deployed 7,500 emergency workers and more than 20 aircraft to battle the blazes. Greece and Spain are also struggling to contain wildfires, as much of Southern Europe swelters through a heat wave.
Guatemala City
Prosecutor flees: The U.S. government suspended all cooperation with Guatemala’s attorney general’s office this week, saying it had “lost confidence” following the firing of the country’s top anti-corruption prosecutor. Juan Francisco Sandoval said he was removed from his post as special prosecutor against impunity after Attorney
General Consuelo Porras repeatedly blocked his investigations—especially those involving people close to President Alejandro Giammattei. Sandoval has now fled to neighboring El Salvador in fear of his life. “There is a relationship between corruption, drug dealing, and organized crime,” said Edgar Ortiz, director of legal research at the Liberty and Development Foundation. Sandoval’s investigations had “reached very powerful people.”