Diplomatic battle between Guatemala and Colombia escalates

Tensions are rising between the governments of Guatemala and Colombia. This Monday, the Central American nation’s lawyer’s workplace introduced it Odebrecht launched an investigation into the case Towards Ivan Velázquez, Colombia’s present protection minister, who headed the Worldwide Fee towards Impunity in Guatemala between 2013 and 2017. President Pedro instantly responded to the information, questioning the validity of the judicial determination towards his minister. “We’ll shield him and he’ll proceed to be our minister. If Guatemala insists on arresting solely males, we now have nothing to do with Guatemala.” President introduced, it additionally introduced that it will invite the Colombian ambassador to Guatemala, Victoria González Ariza, for consultations. The Guatemalan authorities returned the message on Tuesday with equal hostility.

“In response to the almost 200 years of fraternal relations between Colombia and Guatemala, the Ministry of International Affairs rejects the Colombian authorities’s name for justice in Guatemala,” it stated. Quick report of Ministry of Exterior Affairs, have introduced that they may even invite their ambassador for session. “The Ministry of International Affairs regrets that the federal government of Colombia turned the legislation and order concern right into a political concern and took sudden selections with out following diplomatic procedures. On this sense, we now have mutually determined to ask the Guatemalan ambassador in Colombia for session.

Brian Nichols, the US Underneath Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, expressed concern concerning the rule of legislation within the Central American nation amid the diplomatic standoff. Nichols didn’t consult with the Velázquez case, however fairly to arrest warrants issued by the Guatemalan lawyer basic’s workplace towards different anti-corruption investigators: Thelma Aldana (former lawyer basic); Mayra Véliz (Former Secretary of the Public Ministry); David Gaydon (former CICIG president), Pablo Carrasco (lawyer and former Odebrecht guide). “Concern concerning the arrest warrants of the Guatemalan Public Ministry towards the individuals assured to be held accountable for corruption within the Odebrecht case in Guatemala. “Such actions undermine the rule of legislation and confidence within the Guatemalan judiciary,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

The credibility of Guatemalan justice is questionable. The arrest warrants and the investigation towards Velázquez had been introduced by lawyer Rafael Krucic, a kind of added by the US. ‘Engel Checklist’, in June 2022. It’s a US authorities checklist that identifies individuals who have “threatened democratic establishments or processes, engaged in substantial acts of corruption, or obstructed investigations into such corruption in nations akin to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.” Amongst these identified is prosecutor Karruchic, who’s accused of “obstructing investigations into corrupt practices, obstructing high-profile circumstances towards authorities officers.”

Additionally within the crosshairs of the US is Guatemala’s Legal professional Basic, Consuelo Boras, the top of Gurruchinche. US Division of State Added in 2021 A listing of “corrupt and anti-democratic” actors continues to impede their justice. Boras, nonetheless, has the assist of Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamatte, who final yr renewed him as lawyer basic for one more 4 years. Confronted with US accusations, Giamatte was unconcerned. “There is no such thing as a worth in depriving an individual of capability, health and integrity of media or political accusations which may be in accordance with our structure,” he stated in assist of Boras.

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