Guatemalan President Says Country Protects Judges

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A day after a renowned judge went into exile due to harassment and threats for investigating corruption, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said Tuesday that his government is committed to protecting members of the judiciary.

“My government is strongly committed to respecting the rule of law and ensuring the safety of all members of the judiciary so that they are free from external pressure, threats or interference of any kind,” the president wrote on his Twitter account.

After the publication of his message, the president received hundreds of insults, complaints and complaints about the departure from the country of Judge Erika Aifán, who announced her resignation from office the day before due to fear for her physical integrity and went into exile in the United States.

Aifán had to his credit at least 20 high-impact cases in which he led the investigation or sent to trial large businessmen, politicians, judges and civilians accused of corruption or other crimes.

One of them was the investigation against five influential entrepreneurs linked to a process in 2018 for unregistered funding of former President Jimmy Morales' political campaign (2016-2020).

The judge also denounced the prosecutor who was prosecuting the businessmen, Rafael Curruchiche, for trying to benefit them by asking that the case be closed.

But the attacks and threats against the judge intensified after it became known that she had received the statement of a witness who narrated how the former Minister of Communications of Morales, José Benito - currently a prisoner - would have given some five million dollars to Giammattei's political campaign.

Aifán confirmed to journalists on Monday that the president asked him to copy the witness's statement but that she denied it because under the law only parties can have access to the trial and Giammattei is not part of it since he enjoys the right to immunity due to his inauguration, so he cannot yet be investigated.

Curruchiche was promoted to Chief of the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity by Attorney General Consuelo Porras and initiated actions against Aifán requesting that his immunity be withdrawn and investigated for his judicial decisions.

Giammattei said Porras is her friend. The head of the Public Prosecutor's Office was sanctioned by the US government, which withdrew her entry visa to that country “for undermining democracy and obstructing investigations into acts of corruption.” Porras, who ends his term in April, wants to be re-elected and it is President Giammattei who must make the decision.