Arévalo de León calls out the prosecutor who tried to block his coronation

Guatemala City (EFE).- The President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo de León, sent a letter to the Attorney General, Consuelo Porras Argueta, after the head of the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office) tried to prevent his inauguration. last month.

The President, who took office on Monday morning, said in statements to journalists this Tuesday that “we are sending a letter to the Attorney General to summon him”.

“We are going to start the process there,” the 65-year-old ruler said.

Porras Argueta and the Prosecutor’s Office sought to prevent the garnishment of Arévalo de León and his party, the Semilla Movement, for more than six months, especially since July, now three weeks after advancing to the presidential runoff.

The president recalled that “we have a president,” and also said that “the people of Guatemala want to leave behind this group of criminals.”

Arévalo de León had warned since last September 1 that Porras Argueta was carrying out a “coup” against him along with other corrupt actors.

The President’s words followed a Maya ceremony in honor of his presidential term, which will end in January 2028.

without the possibility of dismissing the prosecutor

Guatemalan law states that the only reason for firing the Attorney General is if he or she is convicted of a crime.

That is why Arévalo de León does not have the possibility to order his resignation, but he warned last week that he would ask him to resign.

For his part, the prosecutor has made infrequent public appearances in recent years and has not commented on the investiture of the new ruler.

However, according to experts, with the Semila Movement holding the presidency of the Congress and having a majority in the Parliament, it is possible that they will look for an alternative to remove the Attorney General.

In recent years Porras Argueta and the leadership of the Public Ministry received sanctions from the United States and also accused by various jurisdictions of blocking criminal investigations against former Presidents Alejandro Giammattei (2020–2024) and Jimmy Morales (2016–2020) Went.

an eventful investment

The Guatemalan Congress experienced moments of tension with the inauguration of Arévalo de León on Sunday, with a group of lawmakers from the outgoing Congress trying to disrupt the procedures, causing delays.

At noon, overwhelmed by the situation, several representatives of the Semilla movement had to force open a door where MPs belonging to the Giammattei government were demanding to delay the legal procedures of the new magistrate.

“to stop!” Jonathan Mancos, one of the new representatives, shouted loudly while entering the room where the government’s like-minded MPs were, after opening the door, while other legislators tried the same at the other end.

Mencos later said, “I am a peace-loving person, but I will always be ready to speak out against injustice, abuse and corruption of public power.”

The deputy, widely recognized within the party for his technical knowledge, will seek leave from Congress and Arévalo de León will be finance minister.

in maya ceremony

The new president witnessed a Maya ceremony this Tuesday in an archaeological park a few kilometers from the center of Guatemala City.

As confirmed by the government, the ceremony is “presided over by Mayan officials”, “to bless the new officials through ancestral knowledge”, in an event where the Vice President, Karin Herrera, was also present.

During her speech, the ruler said that “with great humility, Caroline and I and our Cabinet come to participate with you in this ceremony.”