Guatemala City: Gabriel García Luna, Guatemala’s new attorney general who took office in May, pledged Wednesday to dismantle what he called the “repressive and vengeful” administration of his predecessor, who was sanctioned by multiple countries including the U.S. for stifling anti-corruption efforts.
Guatemala, once a strong U.S. partner in the region on anti-corruption efforts, took a turn under Consuelo Porras, who stifled corruption cases, persecuted justice officials, activists and journalists, and drove many into exile. She also attempted to prevent President Bernardo Arévalo’s inauguration and invalidate his presidency by alleging fraud, which was never proven.
“Everyone has a concept of a Public Prosecutor’s Office that can be used in a certain way, and we can no longer have that,” García Luna told The Associated Press. “It is not a political entity, nor a political weapon for anyone, and I do not intend to repeat the actions taken in previous administrations.”
García Luna has already begun moving the institution in a new direction by dismantling the network of Porras’ trusted administrative and prosecutorial staff, who were accused of criminalizing and persecuting former justice officials. He has also launched a commission to review cases of people criminalized.
On Wednesday, García Luna expressed his commitment to radical change to the institution by reviewing potential abuses during the past administration and reviving the prosecutorial profession, which was battered by the exodus of qualified personnel under Porras.
García Luna said his predecessor “formed a parallel government that destroyed the prosecutorial profession, mainly by dismissing between 800 and 1,000 employees during her eight-year tenure.”