Mon Sep 23 22:34:59 UTC 2024: ## Guatemala’s Congress Begins Crucial Supreme Court Selection Process Amid Corruption Fight
Guatemala’s Congress has begun the process of selecting 13 new Supreme Court judges, a crucial step in the country’s fight against corruption. The election comes after a showdown last year between President Bernardo Arevalo, elected on an anti-corruption platform, and the judiciary, which saw attempts to overturn his victory by a prosecutor suspected of ties to corrupt officials.
Arevalo has warned of a “hijacked” judiciary by “mafias” and urged Congress to select the “best” candidates to ensure an independent justice system. International experts monitoring the process have expressed concern over potential “parallel negotiations” by corrupt actors aiming to favor their allies.
The selection is seen as a proxy battle between Arevalo’s camp and a “corrupt pact” of entrenched interests. The nominees must garner more than 50% of the votes from Congress to be elected.
Guatemala ranks 30th in the world for corruption, and Arevalo’s anti-corruption crusade has put him at odds with prosecutors accused of graft themselves, including Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who is under US and EU sanctions.
One of Porras’ allies, prosecutor Dimas Jimenez, is seeking election to the Supreme Court, while another confidant, Rafael Curruchiche, who is also under sanctions, narrowly missed out on the Appeals Court shortlist. Curruchiche was involved in the case against journalist Jose Ruben Zamora, who was jailed for money laundering in what was widely seen as an attempt to silence criticism of the previous government.
The Supreme Court election is crucial for Guatemala’s future, as it will determine the direction of the country’s fight against corruption and the strength of its justice system.
First Piper 